


Valorant: First Light

by orphan_account



Series: Valorant: Le Rêve Fatal [1]
Category: VALORANT (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bisexual Female Character, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Character, Not Beta Read, Racism, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Smut, Soldiers, Sometimes PWP, Unresolved Sexual Tension, reyna is always horny, sage is mom, sova is a nice boy, this is my own take on the plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:09:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 125,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27080110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sometime in the near future, an event known as First Light occurred on the planet Earth. The event spanned the entire globe, leading to big transformations to life, technology, and how governments operate. However, as a result of the event, select people across the globe start to gain abilities stemming from this massive event. These gifted individuals are called Radiants.In response to First Light, a shadow organization created the Valorant Protocol, which pulls together Agents from all over the world. These Agents consist of Radiants and other individuals equipped with Radiant technology. Kingdom is an organization in the world of Valorant. The purpose of Kingdom is to harness the power of Radianite. With this power, the Valorant Protocol was created to stop the Kingdom from harnessing any Radianite and using it for their insidious purposes.
Relationships: Jett/Skye (VALORANT), Killjoy/Viper (VALORANT), Reyna/Sage (VALORANT)
Series: Valorant: Le Rêve Fatal [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043949
Comments: 94
Kudos: 81





	1. Violence

The assembly hall was so crowded with lifeless bodies they almost looked like they were one being altogether. Pools of blood leaking from the various holes within the bodies of the people around the hall were linking up to create a river of blood that seeped through every open door in the hall. The ruby-red chairs surrounding the centre stages were splattered with sanguine red blood and jet black droplets of fuel. Throughout the multiple corpses littered everywhere, there was an amalgamation of both humans and automation both different species but had one thing in common: holes were riddled all over their bodies.

Abruptly a formally-dressed man leapt onto the stage, like the rest of the bodies around them he was riddled with holes and slash wounds weakening him just enough to keep him conscious for an extended period of time. Clutching the multiple bullet wounds in his chest he struggled to cough the blood out of his punctured lung. Raising his battered head up he saw that his entire vision was concealed with a purple fog making only a small area around him visible to his eyes. Turning around he soon laid his eyes upon a hovering ethereal ball of light and dark purple shadows making the image of a catlike eye. Blinking rapidly his deteriorated vision gradually began to fade away revealing a towering woman approaching him.

She is seen with the edges of her hair dyed purple. She is relatively exposed and only has one arm covered while the other exposed. Her sharp eyes make her menacing to look at. She wore a metal and leather hybrid bodysuit paired with a neck-long leather choker on her neck bearing a hole in the middle and a long piece of shimmering purple cloth that resembled space that constantly glowed and dimmed. Her right arm is covered with a leather sleeve detached from the bodysuit itself, it possessed a metal armour shoulder brace bearing a black and gold texture. Her sleeve also covered her hand but not her fingers letting people see her long and sharpened charcoal-coloured nails with silver accents near the tips. On her legs were legging like armour that looked almost mechanical in nature that also gave the woman armoured shoes that looked like armoured sneakers with gold and black accents.

The armour on her right leg was a little shorter than the one on the left resulting in a part of her bronzed skin to show before a thin piece of legging covered it before ultimately the armour completely concealed her leg. On her left arm, there were no sleeves allowing anybody to see her sleeve tattoo, a sun with miniature triangles around it was stuck near her shoulder whilst the rest of her inked arm was covered with symmetrical circuit-like lines that ended near her palm where a pattern resembling the sun on her arm was present. On her hands were fingerless leather gloves with a v-shaped opening on the back of her hands. In front of the openings were small metal pieces resembling diamonds attached to the glove itself. 

Her face was devilishly handsome bearing sharp and angular features, especially on her cheeks and jawline. She possessed thick lips that were tainted with a light red lipstick, her nose was slightly bigger than other females but that didn't downgrade her beauty but rather it enhanced it as it matched her angular face. She had almond-shaped eyes with traces of heavy black eyeliners on it. On top of her slightly glowing inhuman purple eyes were trimmed but still thick arched eyebrows that became thinner as it moved away from her nose. On her eyes was a golden circular earring with a small diamond-shaped object stuck at the bottom of the circle paired with two thin but wide helix earring. Above her, slightly tall forehead was silky ebony hair slicked backwards with some of her hair clambering over her shoulder and some came tumbling down to the bottom of her shoulder blades. Her hair, once it went below her ears slowly, became more and more magenta.

"What do you want?!"

The injured man screeched before falling into a fit of bloody coughs but the Junoesque woman didn't respond instead she wrapped her hand around the business man's neck before gradually lifting him up into the air ignoring his light struggling. Hearing her grumble with herself she carried him to the edges of the stage making him sit down before pulling out a slightly violet and iridescent silenced pistol from behind her before laying it onto the man's hand.

"Kingdom was right about you R-Radiants! We should've k-killed you all on t-t-the s-spot! Come on then. Finish what you came here to do, Reyna"

"It's always the same for you humans, isn't it? Always afraid of the unknown. Always wanting to be on top of everything. Ahhh, what hope do these criaturas have. I almost pity them"

Her voice was tinged with a thick Mexican accent making her sound both enchanting and menacing at the same time. Making the weakened man unwilling lay his index finger against the trigger she moved his hand closer to his head so that he pointed the gun at his temple. Seeing him spit out blood for the last time he turned his head towards the woman sneering at her causing her to tilt her head with a grin on her face before she pressed on the man's index finger firing the last bullet within the gun straight through his head. Satisfied with her job she laid the now empty pistol on the dead man's lap before standing back up again.

Leaving her mark on the corpse she began wading past the pools of blood and bullet-riddled bodies towards the exit of the assembly hall where more bodies littered the hallways with the walls being redecorated with blood and viscera. Most of the bodies seemed to possess grey skin with emaciated features as if their souls were sucked out of their very bodies. Unable to smell any more fear within the air Reyna assumed that nobody within the building was left alive anymore allowing her to holster her gun as she wandered over to the ceiling-high window highlighting the damned city outside.

In the city of Metropolis, there is rain. From a steady drizzle to a horrific downpour, rain permeates the city and washes away the hope and cheer of the population. Rain is not a cleansing agent.

Rain doesn't remove filth. Rain doesn't banish dust. Rain doesn't remove the grime and despair from the streets and alleys. Instead, rain in the city comes down as a dark, disgusting wave of tainted waters that has collected the dirt and pollution from the skies and buildings and pours another layer of surrender over the "man on the street" common folk.

Rain represents the hopelessness of Metropolis and instils in the vicious people a depression that can never be shaken.

Whether it is space ships travelling to and from the world, flying cars hovering over the skyscrapers, or even drones and robots following orders as they manoeuvre through the skyways, the skies are rarely free of movement. A never-ending buzz of machinery at flight, the aerial traffic is so ubiquitous that it fades into the background and is soon forgotten.

In the city of Metropolis, the traffic extends skyward, reaching to the highest towers and in some cities allowing the wealthy to move throughout the world without ever setting foot in the slums below.

The city rarely comes from a single cultural viewpoint. It is most common for most cities nowadays to be an architectural melting pot, designs lifted from all corners of the world or, in the case of tales in which mankind has touched the stars, architectural designs taken from every nook and cranny of the galaxy. Western and eastern designs sit across from each other or, at times, smash and blur together to form buildings that appear both familiar and otherworldly all at once.

This blending of architectural styles mirrors the population of the city, with the city's predominant architectural style coming straight from its dominant culture.

You cannot escape the advertisers in the oblivious city. Walls are covered in billboards, screens, and holographic advertisements that blanket most of your field of vision with demands for your attention, brand loyalty, and cash. Many times these advertisements recognize you and target you directly, tapping into your purchasing history, public records, and private digital trail in order to tailor the message directly to you.

People cannot escape the advertisers of this future world. Your web browser is always flashing ads at you. Even your car is a tool for the advertisers, broadcasting your location at all times so that the advertisements remain just a few seconds ahead of your needs.

This constant barrage of advertising numbs the population, making it tougher each year to reach people with a message. As the people become immune to the advertising methods of yesterday, the corporations improve on their techniques for tomorrow.

In Metropolis, police and corporate security are everywhere and they likely are totalitarian fascists who exist only to serve their superiors. The welfare and security of the people are often so far from the authority's purpose that citizens are enslaved, murdered, and crushed as the forces in control manoeuvre to complete their goals.

Like the rain, the police and corporate security are an unrelenting force of nature that simply makes life miserable for the common population of the city.

The buildings of the city often stretch on seemingly forever. In some instances, the cities even include a space elevator, a beanstalk that connects the surface of the world with an orbital station hanging high over the planet.

Every city design is different, and every skyscraper design is unique to its corporate or governmental masters, but when hundreds of these buildings cluster together to blot out the natural sky the result is a dark landscape that is illuminated only by the neon and flashing screens that batter the people beneath an onslaught of messages.

"What are you doing, Reyna?!"

A Chinese accented voice came from the staircase causing Reyna to back up against the glass wall to see an armed woman carefully stepping through the corpses. She wore what could've been a modernized version of a Hanfu dress styled with pieces of modern armour and shoulder braces but also had a robe like style, unlike the lengthy dress that possessed a full skirt. Around her abdomen was a tall piece of purple fabric that was stuck to her body with two belts and a thick fabric belt that resembled nylon rope and a judo belt. On her right thigh were three external pockets with six grapefruit-sized greenish-blue crystal balls that shimmered constantly within the presence of the women.

Underneath she wore leather combat pants and boots which were a complete contrast to her white and cyan modernized robe. Since the sleeves of the robe end prematurely on her elbows a leather combat bodysuit could be seen on her arms, neck and a small part of her chest. An intricate silvery ring was visible on her left index finger. She possessed what humans would have called an Eastern Asian appearance, she had a billowy raven-coloured ponytail that went down to her tailbone. All the hair on her head was slicked backwards towards the ponytail except a big tuff near the left side of her forehead moving down onto her face. Her eyebrows were quite well done and thin. Finally, she wore dark eyeliner and light eyeshadow to complement her inky eyes and overall her graceful face. On her large ears hung small crystalline balls that resembled the crystal balls hanging on her right thigh but unlike them, these ones didn't glow nor shimmer.

"Gentle sage is not so gentle after all"

"I am both shield and sword. Reyna, your methods are unwise, but I cannot deny they are potent. How you managed to take down a Kingdom office unprepared I will never know"

"I do what must be done. Finish the vendetta they started"

"This is why I beg of you to join the Valorant Protocol. We can drag the evils that Kingdom created down into the depths if you just simply join us"

"No. Your feeble government will simply slow down my approach. It is simply faster alone"

Suspecting that Sage's next move was to apprehend her Reyna kicked the window behind her before walking right through it. Bewildered, Sage dashed towards the broken window to see Reyna smoothly falling downwards into the street markets below them bursting through the feeble plastic roofs before landing rather gracefully on the moss-covered pavement and calmly wandering away.

Knowing she didn't possess enough dexterity for a trick like that Sage began to saunter down the bloodied stairs whilst keeping a finger in her right ear.

"Track and catch our target, Sova. Use the handcuffs"

Ignoring the suspicious glances she was getting from the shopkeepers and the roaming customers due to the deadly weapon strapped onto her back. Unbeknownst to Reyna a double-bladed owl-shaped drone hummed around her watching her every move before firing a miniature dart onto her shoulder brace further tracking her position. Sensing nothing awry Reyna continued walking away from her crash site until she saw a pale man with whitish blonde hair cooly enter the corridor she was wandering along with a fully kitted 50 calibre sniper rifle making all of the civilians run for their lives leaving the two combatants alone.

His overall attire was composed of a modified grey fur collar jacket with a slanted blue cape attached around his neck which ran down his back. The sleeves for his jacket were rolled up revealing detachable leather sleeves similar to Reyna's except that he wore normal fingerless work gloves on his left hand whilst his right hand possessed a thin archery glove made out of polyester. On his left forearm was a device clearly made from Radiant technology which an owl-shaped drone slowly folded itself into completing its look. On his chest were a series of velcro straps circling his stomach but only three were being used for external pockets.

Underneath he had a miniature thigh quiver attached to his baggy sienna combat pants. He additionally wore knee-high mechanical like dark greyish blue boots similar to Reyna and finally, an occupied knife holster was attached to his left boot and a compound bow made entirely out of Radiant technology was seemingly folded behind his cape. The man himself had a European complex complete with untempered caucasian skin colour and an angular jawline. On his left ear were two charcoal coloured minuscule circular earrings stuck to his earlobe. Curiously his right eye was replaced with a Radiant technology-enhanced biomechanical eye that glistened with a bright ocean blue colour. There was also a slim x-shaped scar that made his eyebrow permanently slitted. On the very top was his long whitish blonde hair slicked backwards with the sides shaved nearly completely to the skin. His hair going behind his head was put into a tiny ponytail whilst letting the majority of his hair curl in front of his neck.

Without speaking he immediately aimed down his sniper before firing a round at a fluorescent light attached to the ceiling managing to weaken one side of the light allowing it to suddenly detach and swing itself right into Reyna's body stunning her as she fell to the ground. Holstering his sniper rifle, Sova picked up his bow before shaking it once in front of him extending the limbs of the bow itself to reveal a taut neon blue bowstring complementing the lights scattered all around the bow itself. Watching Reyna recover too quickly Sova swiftly reached inside his quiver to pull out a twin-bladed arrow with glowing blade edges. Hooking the arrow into the bow itself his inorganic eye began to glow brightly causing the bladed part of the arrow to spark with electricity violently before firing letting the arrow soar through the air until it hit its mark in the shoulder immediately causing her to drop back down onto the ground whilst convulsing and grunting out audibly in pain.

Reaching inside his chest pockets he pulled out a seemingly feeble handcuff made only out of steel but inside the metal was glass containing pieces of metal that looked almost like moving clouds on a windy day. Hiding the handcuff's special key behind his back he wandered towards Reyna who managed to only get onto one knee as Sova slapped the handcuffs on her wrists instantly changing the metal's colour to a poison green colour. Instantly the remaining feelings of the taser arrow was stripped away from Reyna as it was immediately replaced with intense fatigue, nausea and asthenia. Reyna cried out, lurched, bent backwards, bowed forward, then retched and groaned. It was clear what the manacles were made for.

"These bonds are lined with Element 115. You aren't getting out of this trap"

Groans were the only reply he received. Already the bonds were taking effect creating ink blue veins that crawled up her forearms and curiously enough the skin under the metal was already starting to bruise and bleed.

"Sova, please tell me you have the target"

"Target acquired. Waiting for extraction"

The Russian-accented man knelt next to a still groaning Reyna before fiddling with an exotic tactical watch on his wrist. The watch itself contained no digital or analogue way to read the time; instead, it simply had a flat metal piece with a glowing yellow ring around it. Finding the right setting, Sova felt a hand on his shoulder causing him to turn around to see Sage fidgeting with an identical watch.

"Our bodies are linked to one another. Ready to leave, Sage?"

"Yes"

Twisting the bezel of his watch to the right the flat piece of metal jutted upwards revealing a cylindrical piece of equipment with visible wires and lights from within the cylinder. Eventually, the bezel turned from its original yellow colour to a vibrant blue making Sova immediately slam the top of the cylinder with his palm swiftly creating a ball of translucent energy that wrapped around the three fighters before collapsing on itself creating a sonic boom on the ground immediately smashing the surrounding shops and pavement whilst only making the nearby skyscrapers shudder completing the teleportation process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on the chapter:  
> Tess Mon Pere - Mantra  
> Suedo,Zenosyne - The Viper  
> Shortwire - Reconfig


	2. Inception

"Wake up, Reyna"

Sage's voice echoed around her empty subconsciousness pulling her back into the world of the conscious. Immediately her sickness returned as her wrists were being bound to the metal chair with the same handcuffs. She was currently in front of a metal table with a recorder laying on it. On the other side was Sage sitting comfortably whilst flipping her pen up and down in the air. Scanning her surroundings she saw that she was in a completely white circular room with blacked-out windows surrounding the Radiants. Above them were hexagonal lights secured to the ceiling blinding Reyna's watery eyes.

"W-wha?"

Reyna managed to mumble out as Sage leapt out of her seat before walking towards Reyna.

"Listen to me very carefully. I'm going to remove your bindings but make no mistake this room has been Radiant-proofed. We can't use our powers here"

Feeling Sage's ice-cold fingers fumble around with the cuffs, Reyna soon felt the sickness waver away as the second handcuff came off her hands. Instantaneously the ink blue veins vanished as well as the bloody bruises on her wrist. Calming down Reyna slipped into a more comfortable position on her chair as Sage returned to her's.

"What do you have to say, cariño?"

"Since your direct defiance towards an order made by the Valorant Protocol I had to intercept you and bring you to this chamber to discuss that very topic"

"Alright then. What have you and your little organization have to say that'll convince me to come along for the ride?"

Grinning Sage began to rhythmically tap the metal table before crossing her legs.

"We are willing to spare and capture the leaders of Kingdom and its underlings to be executed or tortured by your hand only plus a two and a half million dollar compensation for your family's loss that Kingdom turned a blind eye on"

Watching a confused set of faces flash through Reyna's face Sage began to gather her confidence with every word.

"Isn't it breaking international law to do that?"

"We operate beyond the scrutiny of democratic institutions. During these stressing times the Valorant Protocol allows their agents to bend the law in any way possible"

Reaching for a clipboard behind her chair she unhooked its pen before handing the two objects to the pondering Reyna.

"Sign this paper and you will be granted those rewards once we bring Kingdom down onto its knees. All we ask from you is to join and work for our organization so that we can accomplish this task"

Picking up the pen Reyna hesitantly placed the tip of the pen above the slim black line where her signature could have been signed on.

"I've read your file. I know how Kingdom agents killed your sister in one of their raids. Come on, Reyna, your vengeance is just one signature away"

Sighing heavily Reyna with a heavy heart promptly signed the paper to which Sage quickly picked up before leaning against the table.

"Welcome to Valorant, Agent Reyna. Stay in this room, Sova will come along and introduce you to everything and everybody"

Marching off with the pen and notepad Sage opened the only door in the room before closing it behind her leaving Reyna alone in the room filled with blackened windows. Staring at her exposed tattooed arm she stretched out the arm in front of her causing the black marks to suddenly change colour to a luminous purple colour brightening the light on her chest and her eyes as well but her inspection was quickly cut off when the door swung open revealing the bowman standing in front of it.

"If you would be so kind to follow me, Mrs Reyna"

"So that's your name... Sova"

Opening the door for her Sova let her march on forwards before closing the door and following her.

"Do you have any questions to begin with?"

"Where are we to start off?"

"Right in the middle of Venice. That may come as a surprise for you"

"Wasn't Venice affected by a Radianite explosive?"

"Correct. One of our Radiant agents by the name of Phoenix tried to apprehend and recruit a Radiant vigilante and thief that goes by the name Jett. During a fight between them, two Jett inadvertently set off the bomb making Venice airborne"

"I see"

Barely paying attention to the rooms within the metal corridor Sova opened another door in front of them granting them access to the outside. As expected they were in a hovering island that was once a piece of Venice but now was just a floating piece of rock. All that Reyna could see beyond the island she was on were miniature boulders scattered all around the place and the presence of clouds rushing past the buildings.

"This is our current base of operations. Here we have an abundance of physical needs but also weaponry for the training and actual missions. We have thirteen active agents signed into the Valorant Protocol us included. There are five Radiants with us and eight humans with Radiant Technology proficiency"

Ignoring the chilling gales that occupied the lands Reyna continued to follow Sova as he walked down the decrepit streets. Soon enough they soon saw a man in his early forties wielding Radiant cybernetic arms sitting on a table in a ruined restaurant with a man seemingly in his late fifties in front of him. Whilst one of the man's arms were completely made out of Radiant technology his comrade seemed to only have a computerized screen attached to his left forearm. They seemed to be arm wrestling each other even with one of the men having a cybernetic advantage.

"The man with the cyberized arms is called Breach, the Swede lost his arms in an accident so he got them replaced with state of the art cybernetic arms. The other man is called Brimstone. This American has been through a lot in his extensive life, he was alive before the First Light and fought in numerous wars before working for us"

"Does the Valorant Protocol have a tendency to hire old men? I'd be disappointed if that was a yes"

Chuckling, Sova and Reyna turned to the right, continuing walking down the street before spotting two more people near an abandoned ice cream talking to each other casually whilst spying on the pair. One of them was a young African-British man in a fashionable attire talking to a white-haired Korean who looked more interested in his face than what he had to say.

"He's the one we call Phoenix and the person he's talking to is the woman I told you about, Jett. Phoenix used to be a fashion model before being forced into the British military, that is where he found a buried piece of Radionite that reactivated itself once it was exposed to the air. The energy from it killed his squad but it turned him into a Radiant. Like you. Jett herself was a Radiant since she was a little child, she was in a plane when the First Light happened thus her wind powers."

"It is good to see one of my kind aboard this operation. Consider it like grease for your inept human bodies"

Raising an eyebrow at Reyna's underlying comment he decided to ignore it as they walked past the talking pair. Sensing Phoenix's eyes on her body she turned her head towards the man before flashing him a wink and a provocative grin causing the woman beside her to visibly pout before lightly punching Phoenix's arm.

"You like teasing people, don't you? Stir up a little chaos here and there"

"Of course, what is life without dissonance. There must be a balance of everything"

"You sound like Omen. You'll meet the man soon"

Turning to another road a massive church could be seen in the distance which Reyna assumed to be the main building where the magic takes place. Through the open doors of the church, Reyna could see humans rushing left and right attempting to do their jobs despite their novice understanding of Radiant technology.

In another street, they could see a dark and short-haired woman in a lab coat next to another woman wearing what seemed to be a flashy yellow puffer jacket. Soon Sova saw Reyna's glance at them prompting him to explain their backstories.

"The American woman in the scientist coat is Sabine but she likes to be called Viper. Know that she used to work for Kingdom as a toxicity chemist but deviated to join us after an attempted assassination by the same company she used to work for. The other woman is called Killjoy, she's famed in Germany for being the smartest woman in the country and Kingdom tried to exploit that but when she retaliated she got sent to one of their gulags where she bided her time for the perfect escape but the prison took a toll on her mind"

Almost immediately two other agents came out of the church causing Sova to dive once again into their backstories. One of the agents was a man wearing a bronze and white coat but curiously his hands and even his entire face seemed to be cyberized. The woman next to her seemed to be a tanned individual similar to Reyna with cornrow styled hair and a backwards cap.

"You must be wondering why he's all cyberized, hm? Aamir or as we like to call him Cypher encountered Radianite in one of his expeditions in the Middle East but the energy from it reacted badly with his body causing malignant cancer cells to ravage his body. That is why his entire body is made out of Radiant technology but his brain is still human and the heart of a man still beats inside him"

Pointing towards the woman next to him Sova glanced at Reyna before tapping his ears.

"That Brazillian woman is called Izzie but we tend to call her Raze. She's amazing with explosive Radiant technology but see those earphones? Plays music constantly to drown out her tinnitus. If you need something or someone blown up, Raze is the perfect person to talk to"

Finally entering the church itself Sage could be seen talking to various humans before finding Sova and Reyna by her base's doorstep.

"If you didn't know, Sage was a combat healer within the Chinese military before her entire platoon was wiped out with a weaponized Radianite crate from Kingdom turning her teammates into mush but turned her into a Radiant. She's been helping as many people as she could since that day"

Crossing her arms Reyna assessed the machinery and people around her before locking eyes with Sova.

"Tell me about you and I'll let you into a little secret"

"If you say so. As you can tell from my voice I'm from Russia. Worked as a Russian Sniper within the Siberian forests as the first line of defence against Kingdom. Hunted man and animal with a sniper or bow alone until one day I faltered with a target leaving behind an unforgettable mark"

Sova tapped his right eye hinting at what happened to it.

"Soon after that day, my commanding officer gave me a contract from Sage. To join the Valorant Protocol and protect my homeland by gaining an augmented right eye to replace my original one and an augmented bow. So here we are"

Nodding her head Reyna visibly pondered before cracking her hands.

"Alright, it is only fair for me to return the favour. I was born and raised in Mexico, my family was always poor, unable to gather food or even medical supplies when we needed to so to fix that my sister and I joined the Mexican mafia to fight in their war against Kingdom. For a while, my family got better and better so much so that we were able to afford a cheap apartment until somebody within the mafia gave Kingdom information about me and my association with them"

Sighing melancholically she fiddled with her fingers whilst Sova listened intently.

"That day Kingdom agents wearing radiation-proof suits barged into my family's house. Detonated a Radianite bomb right then and there. Within seconds my sister was reduced to ashes but my family and I survived, I became something better, a Radiant. That same day I took my revenge on the mob itself, brought its organization down onto its knees before slitting its throat. I've been after Kingdom ever since"

"My condolences. You do not have to share additional information if you do not wish to"

Interrupting the pair's conversation Sage barged in front of them before grabbing something from her pocket.

"I'm sure dear old Sova here has told you about everyone. Are you ready for the formal introduction?"

Nodding her head Reyna watched as Sage grabbed a hold of her hand before slipping something onto her palm. Opening up her hands Sage revealed to Reyna her own ID card. It was a simple eggplant-shaded plastic card with the words "Valorant" vertically written in hollow white words on the left side of the card. On the bottom right side of the card was a stylized V in a white box with the number eleven to its left identifying her as the eleventh agent. Laying on the top right side of the card was a vertical trapezium with her name in bold white letters written inside the shape. Importantly in the middle of her card was a rectangular picture of her face albeit tinted with a purplish colour.

"I thought I would use those colours because they seem to be your favourite colour"

"Oh wow. I wonder what gave it away"

Reyna sarcastically spat back as she put the ID card on her breast. Brushing her way past Reyna and Sova, Sage lingered near the church doors fiddling with her watch before inputting a command in it alerting all agents to gather around the church with they speedily did.

"You're new"

A deep and gravelly voice nearly resembling a growl came from behind the two agents causing them to turn around to face the last agent Sova didn't introduce: Omen. His overall attire resembled a mummy as he was wrapped in tons of linen wraps hiding the sky-blue energies that emanated from the cracks. Only his chest and head seemed to possess some modern clothes as he wore an armoured chest plate with riblike attachments to its side. On top was a hooded cape that constantly flapped around in the wind but curiously his entire face seemed to be concealed with darkness only leaving three vertical lines on his face that emanated the same energies as his arm.

"Omen I presume?"

"What gave it away?"

Omen sarcastically replied back to Reyna before patting her on the shoulder and joining the small crowd of agents below Sage.

"As you all know the threat Kingdom opposes to the very world has been increasing drastically these past few months. Their violent use of Radianite for killing has tripled since last month and their brainwashing propaganda has improved. That is why I am initiating an important order today and an introduction. From now on we will be engaging in near-lethal missions against some of Kingdom's very best but that is why we have another agent with us today. Today we introduce Agent Reyna into our ranks. She is a Radiant like some of you and we will see her prowess within the simulation"

Curious about what this simulation was Reyna leaned towards Sova.

"What's this simulation?"

"It's an augmented reality environment within a house situated here. We'll be watching from afar as you deal with handfuls of AR generated enemies. All agents have to pass this test"

"Seems simple enough"

Seeing Sage beckon her to come closer to her Reyna slowly approached the crowd where Sage handed her a pair of contact lenses.

"These are cameras for us to see through your eyes. We have cameras all around the house but we are also interested in what you see and do"

"Alright, cariño"

Slipping on the contacts she followed Sage whilst the rest of the agents gathered inside the church to await for the performance.

"Know that the bots in there have been ramped up to the highest difficulty. Be cautious with your positioning and ammo"

"I know how to fight if you didn'tknow"

At the end of the road laid a sparkly clean mansion outfitted with AR projectors and cameras that were slowly whirring back to life.

"Use these wisely"

Handing Reyna a pistol with a custom compensator attached to it added with a few magazines she nodded her head at Sage before sauntering inside the house.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The AR Mansion, Five Minutes Later

Reyna fixed her attire in front of a bedroom mirror when she heard the boisterous sirens situated outside the house blare loudly alerting her of the start of the simulation. Clearing her throat she flipped her hair backwards before grabbing her gun off the bed's drawer. Immediately as she exited the bedroom she heard footsteps on the upper floor that she was on. Quietly cocking her pistol she hid behind a wall as three armed men passed her room. Preparing herself she dashed out of her cover firing one bullet at the man in front of her before moving onto her second target using her left hand to push his armed hand away and firing a round at his other comrade's leg before firing another round straight through restrained guy's head and another at the rising man behind her making him fall down the spiral staircase where she spotted another armed man which she quickly dispatched with a hole through the head. Seeing his teammate gather around his corpse Reyna ran down the staircase before leaping off it blocking his view of her and soon enough she shot his kneecap making him fall down onto the ground where she once again drilled a hole through a head.

Hearing somebody from the corridor behind her she extended her left hand towards the recently killed AR but suddenly she remembered that these were artificial beings, not humans or Radiants. Turning around she fell to one knee before shooting two shots through the invader's chest and head. Firearm raised she walked past the corpse and towards another wall where she reloaded her emptied magazine before using the bottom of her gun to force another invader's arms downwards before smashing his chin in but this allowed the AR simulation to grab Reyna and force her around to which she swung the man towards a nearby shelf before knee-kicking him in the stomach and swinging him over her head smashing him against the ground as she pulled him away from the shelf to use her refilled pistol to eliminate another simulation hiding behind the staircase before finishing the man underneath her with a stomp against his neck.

Slowing down her accelerated breathing she soon heard two sets of footsteps in front of her. Hiding behind a wall near the sound she peeked quickly to see two soldiers split apart by another shelf. Waiting for the simulations to come closer the soldier that was on Reyna's side was swiftly shot on the shoulder before Reyna clambered onto the man's torso shooting his teammate in the shoulder before using the body under her feet to roll back onto one knee where she shot a recovering soldier through the head before using her left hand's fingernails to dig into the man's neck and yank out his larynx. Glancing to the right of the body underneath her feet she saw another mercenary approach her causing her to fire a warning shot at him leading to her and the simulation to hide behind opposite sides of a wall.

Predicting that the AI will attempt to shoot through the wall she knelt down onto the floor before turning her gun towards the wall firing two shots before running out. Curiously the simulation seemed to survive the two shots on its shoulders causing Reyna to halt her reloading process as he pushed his armed hand away making him fire a round into the floor before being smacked on the face with Reyna's gun, kicked in between the legs and flung out of a ceiling-high window behind Reyna as she slid under the man's legs whilst pulling on the man's arms flinging him out of the window and stunning him long enough for the Radiant to reload and fire a single round through his head. Walking straight forwards she turned a corner to see nobody there but to her right, a set of rapid footsteps could be heard again causing Reyna to swing her hands in front of her making the running man drop his gun before pushing Reyna against a nearby pillar.

Seeing one of his teammates approach from her left Reyna risked giving an advantage to the AI by forcing her right hand to the left firing one round through his chest before pulling the unarmed man's arm over her shoulder slamming him against the marble kitchen table. Watching the man whose chest was shot once rise up too quickly Reyna abandoned her current target before kicking a stray gun on the floor away from the man in front of her. Whacking his arms away she forced a barrage of knife hand strikes onto his chest before once again flinging him over her shoulder and onto the floor as she walked towards her last target that was still squirming on the kitchen table.

Ignoring the injured man crawling towards the kitchen to grab a knife Reyna dragged the man on top of the table to its edge before smashing her fist against his neck, breaking it quickly enough for her to dodge the knife strikes from the last remaining soldier. Heading towards the front doors Reyna pulled one last move by slamming her feet against the armed man before leaping onto him grabbing the knife as she tried to force it down onto the man's chest but was slowed down by his hands pushing her hands upwards. Stuck in an equilibrium of strength Reyna raised her left palm up into the air before slamming it down onto the knife projecting enough power to force the knife into his chest but as quick as it went in it quickly came out soon enough but with repeated strikes from her palm, the knife was soon lodged deep in his chest.

Steadying her quickened breath she holstered her pistol before walking out of the mansion doors to see Omen standing nearby with his arms crossed.

"Wonderful performance you did back there. Reyna was it?"

"Yeah"

"I can sense that you are a Radiant but I didn't see you use any powers within your little performance. Is there a reason why?"

"I work on the power of mortal souls. I crush them to power my abilities"

Hearing Omen chuckle he moved her head towards her own before pointing his finger at her.

"I think I'll like you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> DREAMCATCHER - Scream  
> True Damage - GIANTS  
> K/DA - THE BADDEST


	3. More Human Than Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyna's first mission with the Valorant Protocol. Shenanigans ensue in the process

Paro, Bhutan

"Cypher. Cypher, do you copy?"

In the windy lands of Paro near one of its many airstrips laid a massive land filled with unkempt weeds fluttering with the winds in union with the trees in the distance behind it. Abruptly a man wearing a ghillie suit erupted from the middle of the field. His unnaturally black and metallic skin and mechanical blue eyes already gave his origins away.

"Oh shit"

His Morrocan accented voice echoed through the earpiece towards Sage back in their makeshift base in Bhutan as he forced his cybernetic eyes to zoom in onto a military designed plane with its cargo door open letting him see the various Kingdom agents loading something massive into the cargo hold.

"Where's Reyna?"

"Uh. I can't talk right now."

Configuring his cybernetic eye to remove its constant blur Cypher could hear Sage sigh heavily onto the microphone.

"The package is on the plane"

"Yeah, I know. We're currently formulating a plan B although technically, it's a plan C."

"This isn't going very well."

Cypher could hear Sage silently talking to her human workers around her either probably fixing a problem or yelling at them for making a severe mistake.

"I am aware of that, Mirai. You're not helping.

"Where's Reyna?"

"I don't know. We're on radio silence"

"That plane cannot take off, with the package on it. You understand?"

Sage whispered harshly into her mic causing boisterous feedback on Cypher's end but that didn't hurt him, his ears weren't organic after all.

"We're working on it."

Unexpectedly Raze's Hispanic voice rang through the earpiece coupled with the deafening gale in her area.

"Raze? What the hell are you doing there? You are supposed to be on an assignment in Malaysia."

"I'm in Malaysia, I've been here 2 days. Aamir needed my help."

"I didn't need help. I just- I needed assistance, it's a different thing."

Sage could hear Cypher continue bickering with Raze inevitably causing her to cover her eyes with her hand before shaking her head in disappointment.

"The package is still on that plane."

"We understand the package is on the plane. We're trying to cripple it remotely."

"You can do that?"

Reaching the top of a massive signal tower Raze yanked out her computer from her neon yellow and cyan backpack before connecting multiple wires to her device.

"We can if the pilot left the satellite uplink switch on. Which he has."

"And how do you access the uplink?"

"It involves hacking a Russian satellite."

Sighing again into her hands Sage began to contemplate her teammates' extremely unorthodox approaches.

"I can't authorise that."

"Which is why I didn't ask permission."

"We are under investigation by the UN under suspicion of breaking the Geneva Conventions"

"The package is on-board. What do you want me to do?"

Whilst Raze was finalizing her hack Cypher could only sit and watch the military plane begin to start up its engines.

"Uh. Raze."

"I'm reading a heat bloom, Cypher. The engines are starting."

"Yeah. I'm aware of that. But I can't do anything until I'm connected to the satellite."

Flipping a large metal switch Raze pressed the earpiece again.

"Cypher, you're connected"

"Okay, Great."

"The package is still on that plane."

Lying down onto his stomach Cypher brought out a tablet where he started linking up with the plane itself. Thankfully the translation module he recently installed allowed him to convert Standard Tibetan to Arabic or English if necessary.

"Shut down the fuel pump."

Sage began to increase the volume of her voice making Raze jump and Cypher sigh stressfully.

"Uh. Mechanical are on lockdown."

"What about the electrical system?"

"Oh, that might work."

"Uh. No"

"Hydraulics!"

Raze screamed out as she speedily tried to hide her evidence from the Russian government.

"No, they're encrypted."

"Cypher, the plane!"

Watching the plane speed off into the landway Cypher angrily tapped his tablet as he tried to infiltrate the network.

"Yes! The package is on the plane! We get it!"

Unbeknownst to the three agents on a hill near the start of the runway a brightly dressed woman clambered up it before tapping the once broken earpiece in her right ear.

"Can you open the door?"

"Reyna? Where are you?"

"I'm by the plane. Cypher, can you open the door?"

"Uh. Can I open the door? Uh. Maybe."

"Open the door when I tell you!"

Trying to locate his teammate he diverted his attention from his tablet and the plane itself to the hill watching Reyna speedily dash towards the edge of the hill before leaping onto the plane's left wing. Feeling the plane pick up its speed Reyna quickly recovered before sprinting down the wing inevitably tripping on the start of the wing dropping down towards a door near its rear.

"I'm on the plane. Open the door."

"How did you get in the plane?"

Cypher asked innocently but soon enough when the plane turned to the airstrip he immediately saw Reyna grabbing two of the door's holes for dear life.

"Not in the plane, I'm on the plane! Open the door!"

Too bewildered by Reyna's near-fatal stunt Cypher became oblivious about his objectives as he continued to watch the Mexican Radiant.

"Cypher! Open the door!"

"Yeah-yeah-yeah...Okay, okay."

His response was too late as the plane began to ramp up to full speed gradually making Reyna's feet lose their grip on the miniature ledge.

"Aamir! Open the door right now!"

Reyna was yelling out with all her might as the blazing and freezing winds slapped against her body.

"Cypher. Open that door right now!"

Sage howled into her microphone as she watched from Reyna's contact lenses her losing her footing on the plane as the plane lifted off the ground causing her to dangle off the door and soon enough the plane itself was higher than most skyscrapers allowing Reyna to watch the houses below her become tinier and tinier.

"Come on, Cypher."

Raze watched with anticipation as she was also taking a look at Reyna's contact lenses.

"Cypher! Open that door!"

"Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Yes, got it."

Hearing multiple rotors and machinery coming to life she turned around to see the cargo hold's door slowly creep open. A godsend if Reyna was clinging to that door and not the para-door.

"THAT'S THE WRONG DOOR, PENDEJO!"

"Cypher, not that door. The other door."

Raze muttered through her mic before groaning audibly placing bets in her mind if Reyna would or wouldn't die in her very first mission.

"The other door. Right. Yes, the other door. Okay, yes, yes. Sorry, sorry. My bad, my bad."

Unknown to the Valorant agents the pilot and his crewmates began to receive a message from the plane's limited AI stating that the cargo hold door was swinging open. Suspicious as he couldn't close the door again the pilot ordered one of the men guarding him to check on the hold.

"Alright. Look, I'm gonna open the para-door. How's that?"

Startlingly the door Reyna was holding onto immediately rose up ejecting Reyna inside before slamming her against a wall too close for comfort to the open cargo hold's door. Blinking the spots out of her eyes she glanced to her right to see the package they were after. It was multiple equilateral triangle-shaped machines that constantly hummed but most importantly Reyna could feel the tug of Radianite emanating from the machines. They were stacked into a transparent metal case with reinforced glass walls added with a massive parachute attached to the top.

Moving away just in time to get out of the line of vision of the soldier, he glanced around quickly seeing no issue before grabbing the door control behind his back fidgeting with it until he heard the sound of belts clinking and the laboured breath of a woman. Curious he turned around to see Reyna hooking herself onto the cargo before using her right hand to grab onto the parachute's handle. Turning her head forward just in time to see the soldier. Seeing his eyes widen she simply raised her chin at him before grinning.

"Qué tal?"

Just as the soldier began to yell and chase after her Reyna pulled on the parachute's handle letting the parachute shoot through the cargo hold door ejecting the cargo and her attached to it.

"Reyna, come in. Do we have the package?"

Feeling her stolen cargo stabilize Reyna caught her breath as the unarmed bombs fell slowly down onto the mountains.

"Package secured. Requesting evac"

"Good job, Reyna. Coordinates sent to Cypher and Omen. They'll come pick you and the package up"

"Don't wanna know about what this package is containing?"

Seeing the snow caked rocky grounds below her approach too quickly she braced for impact as Sage muttered again.

"Too busy with the paperwork. Tell Omen and Cypher about it when they arrive"

Soon after Sage cut their transmission Reyna and the explosive package slammed onto the ground launching the agent far away from the explosives as it began to slide down a nearby cliff towards the city she was just on.

"Omen! Get your ass over here, we have a situation"

"Got it"

Rapidly shaking off her pain Reyna dashed over to the cargo before grabbing hold of its straps keeping the Radianite bombs on the mountain whilst ignoring the agonizing pains in her right wrist, elbow and shoulder. Soon enough she heard a familiar chime behind her back before the mummified arms of Omen yanked the package onto stable lands allowing Reyna to assess the damage on her right arm. Raising her eyebrow she realized that due to the immense weight of the explosives, it managed to completely dislocate her wrist, elbow and shoulder. Without waiting for medical attention or even the help of Omen she noisily and with difficulty shoved her elbow and shoulder bones into the correct slots before vigorously twisting her wrist back into the right place causing her tattoo and her eyes to shimmer with a dark purple colour as she stifled a yelp with a soft groan of pain.

"That looks good enough for me but you better go check in with Sage just to make sure. The weaknesses of material bodies"

"You speak as if you don't possess any. Do you have anything interesting underneath?"

Provocatively Reyna laid her hand on Omen's chest before using her fingers to trace along with the pattern causing the mysterious man to growl loudly whilst Reyna looked up into his infinitely black hood licking her lips as she grinned at him.

"Guys? Is that you?!"

Instantly moving away from each other Reyna and Omen watched as Cypher wearing a formal shirt with a tie and a waistcoat paired with a fedora and trench coat that bore the same colours as the uniform he wore back at base. Watching the package right next to them he glanced to his teammates and to the explosives repeatedly.

"Good work, friends, keep using my vision to your advantage"

"Stop boasting, you fake Radiant, and assess the stuff"

"Alright, alright, alright, Reyna. Oh my God you two do not want to talk"

Letting Cypher drag his fingers across the explosives as if it were some kind of artistic sculpture, Omen and Reyna stare off into the distance whilst watching the area for their pickup helicopter.

"I still haven't seen you kill someone in the field, Reyna. What are your abilities? Does it benefit the living like Sage's, do you control an element like Jett or do they break you like mine"

"Let me grant you a small demonstration then"

Pointing down the small cliff in front of them Reyna brought to Omen's attention a Himalayan black bear near their vicinity. Looking at Reyna again Omen watched as she suddenly turned around revealing that her eyes had suddenly begun nearly as bright as distant stars and her once black tattoos were glowing a dim purple colour whilst radiating some sort of mist that took on the same colour creating a globe right on top of her palm soon resembling a cat's eye. Hearing Reyna chuckle Omen jolted slightly when he heard that her voice was being backed up with an ethereal whisper before being completely blinded by a bright purple fog with the only thing he could see was his body, only a step forward and the ethereal purple cat eye in front of him.

Sensing the eye to be the source of his nearsightedness he swiped his hand through it instantly curing him of this affliction. Audible mystical winds could be heard down the cliff causing Omen to glance downwards to see that Reyna was down it sitting on a woundless but now an incredibly emaciated bear with skin sunken down to the bone and cloudy eyes as if their very souls were sucked out of it. Reyna was staring seductively and hungrily at Omen with her bloody left hand near her mouth with her index finger lingering in between her lips. Her tattooed arm and unnatural eyes were still glowing and creating the mystical fog as she clambered back to the top of the cliff resuming her former position next to Omen but once again her wandering hands moved all around Omen's torso before roughly grabbing Omen's backside.

"I'll see what's under those mummy wraps soon enough. Hope it's not disappointing but I have high hopes"

Reyna purred into his ear before he swiftly wandered away from Reyna leaving her mildly dissatisfied as he moved next to Cypher shuffling uncomfortably as he heard Reyna strut towards the men.

"Reyna is an odd person isn't she?"

"What makes you say that, spooky ghost boy?"

Grumbling at Raze's infectious nickname for him he crossed his arms as the two men looked behind them seeing Reyna pick her own fingernails with her own fingernails before realizing the attention of the two men were directed just at her.

"You want him in it too? Well, well. I never thought you'd be that kind of person but I can deal with it. All for a taste of what's underneath those wrappings"

Now audibly purring Reyna licked her lips whilst grinning appealingly causing Omen's body and voice to shiver whilst Cypher looked with curiosity at the shadowy Radiant. Pulling him closer Cypher whispered into Omen's hood whilst Reyna chuckled manically before resuming cleaning her own fingernails.

"Come on, man. Don't stick your dick in crazy"

"But she's so hot "

"Don't stick your dick in crazy!"

"But she's so hot though"

Irritated by Omen's primordial and stubborn male feelings kick in Cypher simply sighed quietly before slowly shaking his head.

"But don't stick your dick in crazy!"

"It's worth it"

"Ugh you're hopeless"

A helicopter cutting off their conversation the trio watched as the helicopter used its inbuilt magnet to hook in the package before Sage opened the doors to the passenger seats.

"Reyna and Omen with me. Cypher, stay here and deal with the technological mess before coming back to base. Ok?"

"Alright. Let me do all the hard work then"

Letting the Radiants clamber onto the aircraft Sage slammed the doors shut before ordering the pilot to drag their battered asses back to base. Sage immediately began to drone on about how the mission became more lethal than it could've been and how they were all putting their own lives and the lives of their teammates in danger but the Mexican and shadowy Radiant weren't listening to it at all. Omen was extremely distracted and panicked by Reyna who was holding her face up with her right hand which were still stained with blood. All of her fingers except her pinky were near the corner of her eye or temple whilst the pinky was moved up and down on the corner of her mouth staining the remaining blood onto the skin before licking her lips and grinning revealing her abnormally sharp canines. Her eyes were staring at Omen's body almost studying it like if it were some kind of exotic specimen primed for dissection, her eyes emanated desire for the exploration of the unknown and a taste of what was lurking under its veil. Of course, she would get all of this once they were back to base.

"-Now to mend what has been broken. Complete your paperwork, Omen. Reyna and I will talk with Viper about these... new objects"

Bringing himself out of his daydream Omen shook his head as they landed on one of their bases labelled "Haven". A storage site for Radianite for Kingdom but now was reconditioned to be another site for the ordinary soldiers of Valorant and its agents if its main base gets ambushed by the corporation. Landing on the bottom part of the base Omen immediately melded into shadows slipping through the doors before materializing outside shaking his head as he wandered further into the base.

"What did you do to Omen, Reyna? He's normally not frightened like that"

"Let's just say that I felt a little dominant back there"

Opening the doors Reyna glanced at Sage as she swiftly crossed her legs before putting her tongue in between her index and middle finger causing Sage to breath in sharply as she attempted to ignore Reyna's obvious request gradually making her more disappointed as Sage ignored her, walking outside before an extremely discontented Reyna marched towards her.

"Fine! You beat me but that doesn't mean I'll keep on trying. I'll get my hands on those jewels of yours in no time"

Trying to avoid Reyna's still lustful gaze the two Radiants marched through several doors before the center of the base where all the soldiers and technicians lingered all around a tall rectangular block of Radiant Technology.

"妈的. I don't know where Viper is"

Sighing Reyna pushed Sage behind her taking the brief moment of closeness to cop a feel causing the Chinese to bite her own tongue whilst the Mexican simply flashed her an appealing and prolonged lip bite. Clapping her hands twice she attracted all the attention of the lesser Valorant workers before crossing her arms.

"Which one of you mid-life crisises knows where the agent named Viper is?"

Remaining quiet the employees glanced fearfully at the agents watching Sage sigh embarrassingly into her hands whilst Reyna's face told the workers that she was getting angrier by the second.

"Will one of you nerds answer me?! Do I have to repeat myself?!"

"Reyna calm down"

Inches away from laying her hand on Reyna's shoulder the two of them heard the boisterous clicking of high heels behind them. Turning around Sage saw a short woman wearing a billowing lab coat on top of an ebony sweater. In her hands laid an equilateral triangle gas canister filled to the brim with green smoke that slowly leaked out into the air highlighting her face. Her pale skin lit up by the green light made her seem to possess jade coloured skin, the light also brought out her poison green eyes that nearly resembled the gas itself. The woman possessed straightened neck-long hair with hair being swept on top of her left ear whilst her right ear was completely concealed by her hair.

"What? Why are you all staring at me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Amanda Leigh Wilson and Stephen William Cornish - Stronger Than You Know  
> Ana Tijoux - Antifa Dance  
> Lexie Liu - Mulan


	4. The Perfect Pair

"What kind of toys did you bring me this time, Sage?"

Laying one of the bombs she gathered from the package Viper laying her poison-filled canister right next to the bomb as she began to examine it piece by piece whilst Sage was looming over Viper's shoulder and Reyna and Omen were seemingly having a casual conversation even though Reyna acted extremely enchanting a moment ago. 

"Experimental explosives from a stolen package. Kingdom engineered. Did you find out anything yet?"

Slowly revealing a sneer at her fellow agent Viper soon continued on with her work as Sage sat down on a chair near the table.

"Don't rush me. I'm not that babbling Latino lunatic called Raze, I work with gas and poison, not explosions. Who's the new girl?"

Pointing her eyes towards Reyna before focusing back again onto the explosive she heard Sage's breath shudder before normalizing.

"Weren't you there at the initiation? Weren't you there in Venice?"

Chuckling she pried open the sides of the explosive before cutting away the wires inside with her bare fingers ignoring the electrical burns she received due to the vast amounts of electrical burns and chemical burns she already received on her hands. 

"No I was just an illusion of the mind, yes I was there! I just didn't care about what you were all up to, anyways I was helping that European woman, what was her name?"

Snapping her fingers she pondered for a while with Sage before she replied back.

"Killjoy?"

"Yeah her. Is she always that... bubbly? No bite?"

"Just wait until you tinker with her gear in a way she doesn't like it. Sometimes she reminds me of you"

Chuckling once again she slyly grinned at Sage before grabbing the handle on top of the equilateral triangle-shaped explosive letting a circular glass cylinder to eject out with metal reinforcements. The milky white substance inside the glass cylinder seemed to let out ethereal emissions of the same colour. 

"What has Kingdom done this time... this is... t-this is theoretically impossible!"

"What is it, Viper?"

Putting the extended device on the table she leaned back on her chair before pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Kingdom has somehow managed to use Radianite to invent dimensional engineering. The amount of metal and circuitry should've been able to fit in that tiny piece of shit. I don't know about the stuff inside. Go talk to that crazy ass Latino if you wanna know more about the explosives inside"

Collapsing the cylinder Viper handed the device to Sage who gingerly grasped it before wandering to Reyna who was simply separating her lips from Omen's who was pressed up against the wall. 

"What's so important that it interrupts my time with this man, cariño?"

"We may have new toys for you and the other agents"

"Hm. You have my interest,"

Moving to stand right beside Sage, Omen tried to join their group but swiftly Reyna laid her hand on his chest before pushing him back towards the corner he was once in.

"I'm not done with you yet, Cabrón. I have yet to glance at your insides and ravage you. Stay here like a good pet" 

Slipping back into one of the multiple corridors in Haven Omen watched the pair walk off into the distance before turning around as he heard Viper snicker loudly.

"Looks like someone's gonna bite into that skin tonight. How lucky of you"

"Do not talk anymore about Reyna and me, Sabine. It's embarrassing"

"Teasing you always gets me every time"

Working on her gas canister again Viper watched as Omen wandered off into his room presumably to finish his paperwork meanwhile Sage was walking elegantly with her hands behind her back holding onto the disarmed invention whilst Reyna simply had her arms by her sides.

"You dislocated your right wrist, elbow and shoulder in the mission, didn't you? I can sense the damage"

"Is that your Radiant power? Sense internal damage within the body?"

Grabbing the device with her right hand she glanced towards Reyna before raising her left hand slowly forming what seemed to be a pure ball of Radianite similar to the orbs that were attached to her belt before snapping her fingers shattering the orb and sending out slivers of whitish jade-green energy into Reyna's right arm repairing the damaged muscles, ligaments and tendons as well as her nerve and blood vessels.

"Feeling better?"

"Never better. I'm highly anticipating what you can do in action. Can your powers take lives?"

"I am not just your healer. Just you wait"

Turning to their left they entered an open room where Raze was sitting on the floor with welding goggles tinkering with her rocket launcher that Sage knew she dubbed "Showstopper". Spotting the pair looming over them she quickly threw away her solder and goggles onto her bed before chucking her rocket launcher onto it as well. Adjusting her headphones she shot a glance at the explosive in Sage's hands as her eyes widened. 

"Hey, Sage nice to see you again! Is that a new toy for me and my gadgets?! I keep telling Sova to ask you to get me more dynamite but he says I have too much. Can I have some?"

Raising an eyebrow at Sage as Reyna questioned Raze's odd behaviour she watched as Sage tossed the device towards Raze who caught it before swiftly examining it with her abnormally large and seemingly hyperactive eyes which darted all over the place.

"One: No, you can't have more dynamite or explosives of any kind after you knocked out the generators of this base with them and two: can you examine this device? It's new Kingdom tech"

"Aughhh, I really wanted to try out some new toys but that can wait."

Turning her attention towards Reyna she suddenly broke into an ear to ear smile as she opened her hands awaiting a handshake from the Mexican.

"Nice to see you face to face... Reyna was it? I hope you don't mind the mess in my room, preparing for my next mission you see"

Tilting her head Reyna lightly grinned before accepting her handshake swiftly crushing Raze's hand with her strength causing her to pull out speedily before chuckling lightly.

"A strong grip for a woman, I like it. Cómo estás?"

Raising her eyebrow Reyna crossed her arms before eyeing the grenade pin bracelet Raze possessed on her wrists.

"Estoy bien, Gracias. Y tú?"

Reyna talked back with an added hint of apathy in her words but that didn't seem to affect the energetic Hispanic woman as she continued bouncing up and down as if she would perish if she went still for even one second.

"Bien. Mexican, I see"

"Brazillian I presume... from the voice"

"Mind skipping the introduction for a bit? You have something to analyze, Izzie"

"Right, right, right!"

Plunging right into her search Reyna and Sage watched as Raze studied with curiosity the wires hidden inside the machine before moving onto the glass cylinder itself.

"She's like an energetic child isn't she?"

"She reminds me of a dog that hasn't seen its owner in years. Pitiful"

Flipping the device repeatedly in the air Raze began tinkering with the material in the cylinder.

"This came with the package of today's mission? I'm surprised this is all in good shape. Maybe it needs a little tinkering with my stuff"

"No stop, Raze. We don't need another event like when you tinkered with Cypher's cameras to make them explode"

"Augh. Such a spoilsport"

Resuming her conversation with Reyna again Sage began to fidget with the balls stuck to her belt.

"You got the explosives back intact and barely a scratch was on all of them. Your violent methods may be unwise but I can't deny your efficiency"

"What can I say. When I want something, I take it"

Chuckling Reyna began to assess her nails before dragging them across her forearm causing multiple cuts but as soon as the wounds appeared it simply vanished leaving no trace not even blood. 

"You heal quickly. Radiant ability?"

"Took a soul recently. I was then, how can you say, ... hungry"

Once again Reyna took one long look into Sage's eyes as an enticing grin appeared on her face before the tip of her tongue gently grazed her top lip causing Sage to immediately turn her head away from Reyna as much as possible but a reddening face was clear to see. 

"You're next after Omen. I'll break this bastion you have erected and I'll let myself in"

"Yes! Got it!"

Raze suddenly jumped up into the air whilst punching it before crossing her arms to look at the pair.

"Apart from the dimensional engineering that should be impossible. This whole thing is powered by Radianite as most weapons by Kingdom are but this one is special. To put things short the circuitry here destabilizes the Radianite when you activate it creating a large volatile charge before releasing creating a big black field of energy that doesn't damage the buildings or anything but it only damages organic like us"

Shocked by the information Sage began to work with her watch telling the other agents of this information whilst Reyna began to piece together what they could do with these type of explosions.

"Organic targeted C4? Hmm... that could be useful for our side. Could target Kingdom buildings easily with them"

Finishing swiping a few things on her watch Sage sighed deeply as the new information was absorbed into her mind.

"But don't you get it, Reyna? Dimensional engineering via Radianite! Kingdom now has the ability to engineer dimensions themselves, maybe even space itself!"

"That is why we will use these bombs against their creations, cariño. Destroy everything they have before they can accomplish such feat"

"I'm calling all the agents to Haven. They'll be a meeting for all agents at midnight, don't be late, Reyna"

Smiling maliciously, Reyna turning around on her heels lightly dragged her fingers down Sage's jaw before pinching her chin with her index finger and thumb making her lock eyes with Reyna.

"I won't be late. I'll be missing a terrific sight if I did"

Leaving the Brazillian and Chinese agent behind Raze watched as Reyna bolted off back in the direction she came whilst Sage continued looking at her as if she were in a daze.

"Hey! Mirai! Hello?!"

"Huh?"

Raze's boisterous shouting brought Sage back to the land of the living as she turned around to see Raze pointing towards her watch.

"Breach and Brimstone are calling you to join them on their mission. Better go to those cranky old men before they become impatient am I right?"

"Alright, alright I need to go. Goodbye, Raze"

"Bye, Sage!"

Seeing the agent walk the opposite direction of where Reyna took off to Raze retreated back into her room before promptly shutting her doors and locking them prompting Killjoy who was hiding underneath Raze's bed to shuffle back into the light as she brushed off the TNT dust off her coat and pants.

"I finished fixing your bed and priming it with explosives! Who were you talking to?"

"Sage and that new agent. They wanted me to assess this device"

Staring at the equilateral triangular device on the ground Killjoy swiftly swiped it away from the Latino who immediately began to frown.

"How could they forget to take the explosive device away from you?! You're lucky I took it from you before you tinker with it and take out this entire base with it. Remember what you did with the generators?!"

"Fine! Don't let me have any fun then!"

Crossing her arms angrily she turned away from Killjoy before pouting in a corner of her room.

"I heard what this device does from your little conversation. Organic targeting and dimensional engineering? Oh mein gott, we have to be careful with this specimen, don't we?"

Carelessly tossing the device up into the air it lightly brushed the top of the roof before landing back onto Killjoy's palms instantly ejecting its metal and glass cylinder upwards as whitish tangible lights began to swirl around the tube as well as rhythmic beeps that came from the device.

Surprised by the sudden activation of the device Killjoy looked at Raze who was looking at her with a look of fear as she clutched her hair. Thinking of no other way to deactivate the device, Killjoy swiftly opened Raze's bedroom window before chucking the explosive out and brushing her hands together as she closed the window.

"What just happened didn't happen or I will tell on you so hard!"

"And you say I'm reckless with explosives. Get out of my room before people get here"

Nodding her head repeatedly she had one foot out the door when the beeping outside became progressively faster before releasing a muffle explosion. Curiosity overriding her pride she swiftly peered through Raze's window to see that the small grassy hills behind their base were replaced with arching hexagonal pillars shielding the view of the mountains as well as the rest of the grassy fields.

"That is... so cool!"

Raze screamed at the top of her lungs as she peered over Killjoy's shoulder before being left alone in her room as Killjoy dashed out of the room in fear of the ramifications of her actions but more importantly the effects of the bomb. Running away so fast and blindly Killjoy accidentally dashed into Reyna who's hair was completely messy and animallike bite marks that were still bleeding were littered all over her arms and neck. Glancing downwards Killjoy saw a purple intricate silenced pistol that she tried to hide behind her back.

"What is up with all this ruckus, Bonita?"

"Umm... ahhh... remember the bomb you were carrying around with Sage?"

Seeing the Mexican raise her eyebrow and cross her arms threateningly Killjoy began to fiddle with her fingers and seemingly collapse into herself as Reyna's piercing eyes ran deep into her soul.

"Yes?"

"Well... it sorta reactivated so I had to chuck it out of the window. Look for yourself what happened"

"Is that all? Nothing else?"

Nodding her head Reyna slipped her gun behind her back before peering out the nearest window with a quivering Killjoy behind her struggling to keep her eyes off the Mexican's backside as she constantly reminded herself that she already had a person chosen.

"Huh. Interesting... smells like Radianite outside but that is to be expected. Stay put, chica. I'll figure this out"

Hearing Sage's footsteps rapidly approach her Reyna turned around to the noise to see a panting Sage peering over her shoulder.

"Oh? You're approaching me?"

"I can't get a clearer vision of the view without getting closer"

"Oh ho! Then come as close as you like"

Purposely Reyna wrapped her right arm around Sage's waist pulling her closer to the window but also closer to the Hispanic. Sage knew that trying to pry away would be futile, Reyna overpowered her tenfold as evident with her well-developed but not exactly protruding muscular arms that she simply could not take her eyes off no matter how much she wanted to, they were almost hypnotic in nature to Sage's eyes.

"Take as much time admiring me, cariño. I have the time to look back as well"

Blushing she glanced behind her to see Sova who recently arrived standing a few steps behind them with his hands behind his back grinning as she saw Sage's reddening face and Reyna's devilish smirk. Pinching Sage's chin again Reyna brought her wandering eyes up to the window before resting her left arm on Sage's left shoulder. 

"You'll have plenty of time to admire later but now we have a situation in our hands. Look outside, look what the bomb we asked Raze and Viper to look at did"

"Did Raze fiddle with the bomb?! Oh my god, I need to hire a babysitter for her, a bomb and fireproof babysitter!"

"No, no, no. That puppy did nothing but it doesn't matter what happened. Look at what's happening around the blast zone"

Diverting her attention from the woman to the actual blast site she saw the hexagonal pillars it erected but curiously enough jade green shards could be seen on the pillars themselves but also black balls of energy with white accents began to form all around the pillars. Soon enough she saw the agents she called to Haven begin to crowd around the anomalous site.

"Let's go have a look, shall we?"

Pushing open the escape door right next to the window Reyna, Sage and Sova stepped out into the gale-filled world to watch the anomaly that Killjoy was hiding from. Ignoring the jade green jewels Reyna watched with curiosity as the Radiants in their team were able to get closer to the black balls than the mortals as they were simply pushed back as if they were a magnet being shoved back by another of the same magnet.

"Radiant only... interesting. The mortals cannot pass but we can. I wonder what they do"

"What if it's dangerous? Volatile?"

"Worth the risk. Radianite gave us the power but I wonder what these black balls do"

Hearing Sage order Sova to push all of the Radiant and humans back except for her and Reyna. Sage, taking a precautionary measure, decided to stay a few meters away from the orbs whilst Reyna slowly approached one.

"What are you doing, Reyna?!"

"These orbs reject humans but not us Radiants. Maybe it's a gift or a handicap. Only one way to find out" 

"You could hurt yourself! Don't touch it!"

Glancing behind her Sage saw Sova a few steps away struggling to enter the zone as invisible forces pushed his body and hair back.

"Let Mrs Reyna do what she wants to do with these Radianite orbs. It is her choice so it will be on her not on the agency"

"If she dies we will be losing a valuable asset against Kingdom. It is not worth the risk!"

"But what if she gains a benefit from this interaction? Let her do this act and we shall see what unfolds"

Watching with anticipation added with intense awe Sage and Sova watched as Reyna slid her way towards one of the blackish white orbs before gingerly moving her right hand towards the edges of the ball watching the ball seemingly become a floating liquid that slid up her arm before being absorbed into her skin leaving no evidence of its existence. Turning around Sage and the rest of their agents saw Reyna's eyes begin to glow exponentially as her sclera suddenly turned black and soon enough she collapsed onto the ground but oddly a deep purple skin covered Reyna's body turning her translucent but when Sage rushed over to catch her from falling her arms ran straight through Reyna's body.

Waving her hands curiously on Reyna's body it simply dissipated until her hand was out of her body when it reassembled back into Reyna's body.

"Well then. Here we go again"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Lady Gaga, BLACKPINK - Sour Candy  
> Bebe Rexha, Doja Cat - Baby, I'm Jealous  
> Emotional Oranges, Channel Tres - All That


	5. On Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Warning

Hearing the swishing noise of water all around her Reyna slowly opened her eyes soon figuring out she was in the vast deep of what seemed to be water possessing the images of her own shattered memories. Memories from her very childhood, of her family and of her now late younger sister. Orientating herself she started heading up towards the light in the water as the deafened muttering became louder and louder as she approached the light suddenly teleporting her to a dilapidated living room she recognized as her childhood apartment in Mexico. The walls around her possessed torn wallpaper with mould growing on it hindering the elderlies in her family as well as the infants, the floorboard itself creaks with every step kicking up dust or causing the occasional rat to squeak and the air itself was always pungent and smelt of sweat and alcohol from the neighbour right next door to them. In front of Reyna was a certain someone sitting on a couch close to collapsing. It was a woman who looked nearly identical to herself but she possessed jet black hair instead of Reyna's purple-tinted one, her eyes weren't purple but took on a luscious brown and most importantly the seductive yet aggressive face of Reyna wasn't present on the woman but a warm and welcoming smile was present on it instead. 

Walking towards her Reyna suddenly bumped her entire body on an invisible barrier that rippled like water every time she touched it separating her from the woman.

"Amaya! S-Somethings blocking me. I can't get through!"

Cocking her head the woman crossed her legs before laying her arms on top of each other.

"Your heart's not in the right place"

"W-What do you mean my heart's not in the right p-place?!"

Standing up Amaya crossed her arms before cocking her head at her twin sister.

"Your heart's not in the right place"

"Wait what?! W-w-what do you mean my h-heart's not in the r-right place?! What is it-"

The squeal of a defibrillator entered Reyna's ears as her surroundings turned to smoke launching her back into the watery depths of her memories and out of the surface.

In the medbay of Haven Sage and a bunch of doctors were unsealing Reyna from a plastic bag filled with a viscous and chunky substance when Reyna's hand grabbed a hold of Sage's wrist.

"What the fuck. Is this normal?"

"Don't panic. Sometimes they flop around. Usually means that they're remembering something violent, for her probably the harmful experiment she cast upon herself"

One of the scientists spoke as they watched Reyna's naked body quiver heavily whilst still grabbing onto Sage's wrist. A diving regulator like object was stuck to her mouth allowing her to breath whilst within the fluid.

"This can't be normal"

"She'll be fine. Just get her to the chair"

"You get her in the chair"

Stepping away Sage watched from afar as one of the doctors approached Reyna slowly.

"Alright buddy, enough of that"

Finally opening her eyes Reyna instantly grabbed a tight hold on the doctor's neck before smashing his head right against the wall beside them cracking his nose into several pieces.

"Ah shit!"

"We need help. Help! Help!"

One of the female scientists yelped out causing a soldier and another scientist to enter the room as Reyna pulled the device off her mouth slowly and methodically revealing a long plastic tube that went down her throat.

"Fucking agent went mental on me! Broke my goddamn nose!"

"We'll have to sedate you if you don't calm down"

"I am fucking bleeding here!"

"Shut up!"

"Listen, asshole. You better calm down

Fully conscious now Reyna stared deep into the eyes of the soldier wielding a stun baton before grabbing his legs dragging him down onto the floor before pinning his wrists to his side.

"How long? How long have I been gone?"

Looking at the scientists mutter amongst themselves Reyna increased her force on the pinned soldier's chest and neck.

"How fucking long?!"

"Five days, Reyna! Five days!"

Sage shouted out finally calming down Reyna as she slumped against the wall and pressed her back against the ice-cold ceramic wall tiles as well as remaining unconcerned about her nakedness.

"That was too long for my tastes. Hurt my throat a bit"

Standing up every scientist flinched as Reyna walked past Sage before stopping in her tracks and grinning at what she wore. Sage for the morning didn't bother to tie up her hair but nonetheless, her hair remained silky and luscious and she also wore what seemed to be a traditional Chinese dress that highly resembled her combat robes.

"A sight for sore eyes. Good thing I woke up near you"

Walking past her Reyna barged through into the coroner's office before spotting a room filled with showers inside it. Barging on through she swiftly turned on one of the showers before attempting to scrub away the liquid and the bits inside it.

"Embryonic stem cell solution. My skin must've been in a bad state"

Outside the showers, all the scientists left the site whilst Sage remained leaning against the wall near the chamber where Reyna woke up in as she continuously stared through the glass in the door to catch a glimpse of the Junoesque woman standing under the shower. An old dim light sparsely lit the wet room, draping Reyna in warm, Orange illumination. The water was pouring out of the small shower head and over her dyed hair, making it shimmer just like her perfectly shaped and beautifully tanned body. All she could do was marvel Reyna's breathtaking beauty, her ling, firm legs and perfect hips.

And the best thing was, that beauty was actually taking a shower, no less than five meters away from where Sage was. Right now she thanked God for the lack of privacy to the shower, for it was the reason the Radianite healer could relish the sight of Reyna moving gently under the water, apparently enjoying the warmth of it. Her delicate hands were stroking over her pristine skin, leaving quickly fading imprints, where the water was wiped away. It was just like a forbidden fruit, barely within reach, which was teasing Sage, tempting, almost daring her, with every move Reyna made and every word she spoke, to come and pluck it.

Sage was homoerotic. They had touched before and she couldn't care less anymore.

"操它"

Inside the showers, Reyna's mind was wandering the depths of her fractured psyche attempting to understand the message her dead sister was trying to tell her when her train of thought came to a very abrupt stop.

Suddenly, cold hands glided down her back and around her waist before someone pressed a series of cold kisses up her shoulder and towards her neck, sending an overexcited shiver up and down Reyna's spine and making her gasp.

"Couldn't resist yourself?"

She hummed in bliss as Mirai's lips found that particularly sensitive spot under Reyna's ear.

"Is talking really what you have in mind for now, 宝贝?"

Mirai murmured in Reyna's ear, her voice needy and her touch strong before she sucked on Reyna's earlobe.

Reyna felt the heat rise in her body, spreading into her head and clouding her mind. Soon enough she would be lost in the moment, aslave to her own desires, all thanks to Mirai's strong touch and affectionate attention. Somehow it was cruel how she was standing right behind he, holding the Mexican tightly while she administered more kisses to her neck.

And here Reyna was, thinking she was usually the sexually dominant partner, when all she could do now was stand there and submit to Mirai who seemed to have little difficulty in turning Reyna into a warm piece of butter, melting away under the hot water of the shower. Mirai was seconds from opening her mouth to speak when Reyna effortlessly grabbed Mirai's collars before pushing her onto the wet ceramic walls and hot waters of the shower where Mirai was shut up by Reyna's lips, which sealed her own in a hot, yet excitingly cold, kiss.

"You talk too much, cariño"

Reyna whispered, pressing her body closer to Mirai.

"This is exactly what I want. You are exactly what I want; what I need"

Reyna said, as she reached up to cup Mirai's face. She sounded absolutely convinced of it. There was an unwavering honesty in her eyes which was so crystal clear that all of Mirai's shallow concerns were immediately overcome.

"Well then"

Mirai smiled naughtily, eyeing Reyna up. She indeed was standing in the shower with Reyna in her exotic dress.

"Let me help you out of this, cariño"

She reached up to Mirai's neck to untie the knots on the back of it while Mirai's arms fell to her sides. Her dress split in half and Reyna slowly peeled it off the healer's beautiful pale skin.

Reyna took her time, carefully pressing soft kisses over the right side of Mirai's cold body, just after she had peeled another inch of the dress away, like she meant to replace the cloth with her lips. The hot water from the shower was making her skin appear like a shimmering diamond, and Reyna was intoxicated by the other woman's wonderful scent.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?"

Mirai asked between breaths. She had never suspected that someone slowly undressing her in such a way would arouse her so ridiculously much. But Reyna didn't only undress her, she was making an art out of it. The way her hot hands moved over Mirai's cold body, slowly and very carefully exposing her skin, while her mouth was on so many different places in what seemed to be the same time, Mirai was already going crazy just from the undressing part.

"Waited long enough for it"

Reyna murmured, as she kneeled down in front of Mirai, stripping the dress over her waist and slowly helping her out of each leg, pressing hot kisses on the top of Mirai's thigh while she placed the foot on her hip. She purposefully ignored the most important area of interest for now, knowing Mirai's womanhood would receive more than enough attention soon. Finally undoing both shoes and helping Mirai step out of them, Reyna quickly tossed the outfit out of the shower now that it became useless. She took a moment to marvel at the sight which lay in front of her.

Mirai was even more enticing than Reyna had imagined in her wildest dreams, and she had already been really alluring there. The fact that Mirai was completely nude underneath the dress came as no surprise to Reyna at all, which just added something to the thrill. Mirai was completely bare and, much to Reyna's excitement, she didn't have a single hair on her body apart from the ones on her head.

"Stop staring already!"

Mirai tried to order, but her voice failed her, making her sound completely embarrassed. There was even a tiny bit of red spreading over her cheeks. Truth was, Mirai was embarrassed like never before. She shouldn't have been, she'd had multiple female partners before but then she was just an object, just a tool to be used and hardly anything more. But the way Reyna looked at her now, with wide purple eyes glowing and her mouth slightly agape as if in awe, Mirai felt like she didn't deserve this level of admiration from someone so brash but also so caring.

"你好美哦!"

Mirai had said the words without even realizing it. She just knelt there in the shower, looking up to Reyna and watched while the many small drops of water were rapidly running down over Reyna's slightly visible collarbones and over her well rounded, firm breasts. Some drops were uniting on the tip of her already hardened nipple, falling down from it after a moment or two and reflecting the dim light in the shower with a mesmerizing sparkle, or just gliding further along her body, over her well-toned stomach to Reyna's crotch and over her perfect thighs, leaving a wet trail of evidence behind for other drops to follow in.

The whole woman was perfection; not only her body, but really all of her. She might have had her issues, but in the end, Mirai thought highly of her. Not a lot of people would have been able to go through the things Reyna had to endure and survive, let alone retain a little piece of their selves. Even if it wasn't a lot.

Reyna's heart was beating faster than it ever did before. She would have never thought that someone could look at her like this and be so completely honest about it. Mirai's eyes were glowing, and it wasn't only pure lust which made them sparkle like this. It was the general appreciation of Reyna as a person, not only as a useful pile of flesh, but as a human being, which made Reyna appreciate that stare. The only stare she would ever tolerate. The only stare she would ever yearn for from now on.

Mirai arose and wrapped her arms around Reyna's body, kissing her with burning passion, while she picked her up and turned them both around. She pressed Reyna against the cold tiles of the shower, trying to deepen the kiss. Mirai was quite a bit smaller than Reyna, so the tip of her breasts was softly brushing over the bronzed skin of her ribcage.

Mirai tried to ignore the distracting, highly arousing, electric shiver that the warmth of Reyna's skin sent through her nipples and into her body. It felt so horribly inappropriate to feel her center cry out for attention, throbbing and begging to be touched after what she just did. But the more Mirai stared back at Reyna the more she figured that the Hispanic looked rather thankful as if Mirai had proven something important.

Mirai gasped when Reyna reversed the game, taking hold of Mirai and almost slamming her into the wall of the shower. Her backside prevented Mirai from feeling the cold tiles, but she was too occupied by Reyna's hands sliding up her body and towards her breast anyway. Reyna's warm hand circled around the soft flesh while she pressed a leg in between Mirai's thighs, just out of reach of the most interesting part. Mirai's center cried for attention as she tried to arch her hip forward a little bit in desperate search for at least some friction on Reyna's thigh. But Reyna kept the much-desired relief just barely out of Mirai's reach, yet close enough for her to feel the warmth of her leg brushing over her heated and dripping wet core.

"So, cariño"

She purred into Mirai's ear with a hot whisper as she felt some warm drops fall to her thigh; drops that clearly weren't water.

"Are you telling me that you are mine and mine alone?"

The Mexican asked with a slightly devious smirk. Oh, Reyna like that very much. Getting to be the boss in this game was a new kind of high. Usually she didn't have much say in anything, but wherever she did, Reyna drew immense pleasure out of it. It was what made her enjoy killing so much; the sheer power over someone else. Either way, the mere thought of getting to play this game with Mirai was positively arousing, almost intoxicating, maybe even close to addictive. The teasing, the tension, the craving for more and finally the relief, the mere thought of it all made the Latino shiver with anticipation.

She had hoped to do this for some time, but had forgotten about it and now remembered that desire again. It was what her wildest, most private fantasies were made of. And Mirai's face did little to contain her breaching desires. On the contrary, it made Reyna's inside tremble and overflow with anticipation. But in order for Mirai to actually accomplish her desires, Reyna had to nibble on Mirai's earlobe while she drew teasing circles around her breast.

"I..."

Mirai sucked in a deep breath as she felt Reyna gently bite down on her ear, gnawing at the heated flesh.

"...Am. I'd do anything to make you happy"

She pressed out in between gasping breaths. It was ridiculously easy to say these words for Mirai; at least way easier than telling Reyna the true reason for them.

Reyna could hardly contain a wide-ass smirk from forming on her lips while she left Mirai's now completely red ear alone, a fine line of saliva stretching between her lips and Mirai's ears. Slowly, Reyna proceeded to stare deeply into the naked Asian's eyes, her delicate hand closing in on the meanwhile erect and hard nipple of Mirai's right breast.

"Anything?"

Reyna asked, pressing her cold body closer to Mirai's. She was too caught up in this super hot moment which she enjoyed like nothing else before it. And judging from the deep red blush rapidly spreading over Mirai's cheeks and cute nose, so did the Asian. Reyna enjoyed seeing Mirai like this; so heated up, so excited and at her mercy. Soon.

Mirai's eyes lit up for a moment, as if she argued with herself for a final time if she really wanted to leave her usual dominant path, before Mirai nodded.

"Anything"

She confirmed. And it was true. To make the throbbing pain of the loss of her sister vanish, to have a normal life, to laugh, to smile and to enjoy good times. To enjoy private good times. With her. Naked. In the shower. Just like now.

And, as if it was some kind of reward, Reyna gently grasped Mirai's breasts in her hands, carefully kneading the hot buds of flesh in between her fingers while she raised the leg between Mirai's thighs up a little, pressing it against her womanhood. Mirai hissed out in pleasure, feeling the heated leg making contact with her cold and wet womanhood, immediately trying to get more friction out of the touch.

"Una buena chica, Mirai"

Reyna purred seductively, allowing Mirai to rub her sex all over Reyna's thigh. Bringing their lips together, she caught Mirai's excited moan in her mouth, feeling the content hum through their touch. Reyna could clearly feel the Asian's hips searching for friction on her leg, she herself hot against the cold skin, making it easy for Reyna to notice just how excited Mirai really was by now.

Mirai's soft hands, which up until the moment were resting on Reyna's hip, started to move as well, now sure that she kind of had a go-ahead and that Reyna was comfortable in the current situation. It was her who kept the two pressed together closely. One step and Reyna could have ended the game; but which she didn't. Not when one of Mirai's hands caressed the wonderfully soft flesh of Reyna's firm breasts, massaging one of them with skilful fingers and gentle movements, and luckily not when Mirai's other hand slowly slid towards the nether regions on Reyna's body.

Reyna's touch was much more skilled and refined than that of her lover. But it didn't matter to Reyna. The fact Mirai was here, doing this, was more than enough for her to go crazy. She didn't expect that Mirai would be completely new to such an act, which she obviously wasn't, but she was by no means as experienced as Reyna was.

Hell, Reyna had been doing other girls since she was twelve and even though Reyna was picky when it came to bed-partners, over enough time, she obviously did score with one or another girl.

Mirai's eyes rolled to the back of her head as the gentle admiration of her flesh caused the Mexican beauty to bite down on Mirai's neck before sucking on it. It wasn't painful at all, but an exciting stinging sensation. Mirai's finger danced around Reyna's womanhood, drawing hot and teasing circles around it.

"You ok?"

Mirai hummed, liking how Reyna's movement started to become sluggish and out of synch.

"Si"

Reyna sighed happily. She had never in her life felt this excited before. Mirai's hands had to be touched by God himself, for there was no way they could be this gentle and, at the same time, so incredibly satisfying.

"Want me to go ahead?"

Reyna asked, happy to notice that her beautiful Asian lover's hands were moving from her breasts down her body as well, apparently mirroring what Reyna did.

"是的，请"

Mirai managed to say, Reyna's hands making her mind turn to goo, causing her to almost beg Reyna to continue. Here she was thinking that she was in control, when all it took was Reyna displaying just how good she was for that fantasy to fall apart like a house of cards in a storm. Not that Mirai really cared anymore at this moment. She wanted that so badly; to have a them. Wanting Reyna so much it was almost painful and a part of Mirai still failed to fully understand how this moment was actually real life.

"你很特别!"

And while Reyna didn't speak a single word of Mandarin Chinese, she knew exactly what Mirai meant. She would do exactly that. There was no way that tomorrow morning Mirai would not feel like she had been alive in what was to come.

She had asked for it. Reyna happily complied and was rewarded by the cutes, most adorable hiss of pleasure she had ever heard. Mirai was too charming like this, she was obviously enjoying what Reyna was doing and that in return satisfied Reyna.

"You are so cold"

Reyna hummed, the feeling of her fingers surrounded by cold but soaking wet flesh foreign, yet strangely exciting.

"A-ah! You are too hot"

Mirai gasped. Mirai had given up on trying to mirror what Reyna did, and instead settled for clinging to her shoulder and waist like she would fall otherwise. She felt Reyna's warm fingers move slowly inside her, the heat radiating off her hand sending a burning sensation into Mirai's aroused flesh like Reyna was feeding on her pure life through her tender and careful admiration. Her heart was beating almost painfully in her chest, and her muscles felt sore from all the tension. Reyna's touch was magical, she was twisting and curling fingers inside Mirai's wet folds, sending sparks of electricity into her shaking muscles. Mirai's whole body cringe when Reyna moved her hand to softly rub her palm over the sensitive bud on Mirai's nether regions, her fingers still buried deeply inside the cold, wet sex.

Reyna furrowed a brow, not sure if she should continue, but then Mirai desperately cried out for more before she bit Reyna in another part of her shoulder, sucking on the flesh. Encouraged by this Reyna started to pick up the pace of her fingers moving inside Mirai, paying close attention to how her lover's body reacted. Reyna didn't want to overdo it and act too fast or too harsh. There was time, she wanted Mirai to enjoy this to the fullest.

"You like it?"

Reyna murmured with an innocent smile, which Mirai had no way of seeing.

"Love it, 宝贝"

Mirai hissed in bliss, her cold breath fresh against Reyna's heat skin, but soon washed away by the hot shower. Reyna giggled happily, twisting and turning her fingers inside Mirai and being rewarded by sharp gasps or soft moans with every move she made. Reyna could tell that her partner wasn't too far away anymore. It wouldn't take a lot to push Mirai off the edge and into bliss. Just slightly more pressure, and.

"Well, you have me the entire morning all to yourself, cariño. And I'll do anything you want. Whatever you desire"

Reyna purred that last part in Mirai's ear, suspecting that it was exactly the kind of psychological mind-sex which got Mirai off while she rubbed her palm a bit tighter to Mirai's clit. Oh, boy was Reyna good with girls.

She had barely said the words when she felt the wet flesh around her fingers start to tighten up. Reyna couldn't help but smirk when she used her thumb to administer more aggressive, but still rather gentle, admiration to the particularly sensitive bud on Mirai's body, carefully stroking over it in circular motions while she curled her fingers up inside Mirai's cold flesh.

The reaction she got was wonderful. Mirai held on to Reyna, her whole body tensing up and her nails digging into Reyna's back while she, yet again, buried her teeth in a part of Reyna's shoulder. The Mexican knew she would have bite-marks and bruises all over her in a few hours but she couldn't bring herself to care.

If anything, these were marks of how good she was and how much fun Mirai had. So ultimately, they were a reward. Reyna would wear them with pride even if she'd get told off by Brimstone and Breach.

She smiled happily as she gently eased Mirai out of the first climax of this early morning, soothing her shaking body with slow movements of her hot hands as the girl held on to her tightly, like Reyna was the only thing keeping Mirai from drowning. Reyna gave Mirai as much time as she needed to recover from her first orgasm today. Yet, this was only the beginning.

"I don't think I will ever let you go, 宝贝"

Mirai moaned silently, her eyes glowing with excitement and her body radiated happiness while she buried her slender hand in Reyna's wet mess of hairs, crushing their lips together in a messy desperate kiss, her body easing down on Reyna who simply lied down with Mirai on the cold ground before wrapping her legs around Mirai's waist.

Reyna could not help but grin like a madman when Mirai stopped her violent assault on her lips.

"What a coincidence, cause I don't think I would leave you, cariño"

"好. 很好"

Mirai hummed, gently pinching one of Reyna's nipples, eliciting a sexy groan.

"Your turn, 宝贝"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> The Chainsmokers, Bebe Rexha - Call You Mine  
> Taylor Swift - Lover  
> Simon Curtis - Flesh  
> George Michael - Careless Whisper  
> George Michael - Freeek! '04  
> Flor - Hold On


	6. Doppelganger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More NSFW

"Dr Karim Solveig?"

Jett asked a bound man laying down on a hospital bed whilst Reyna lingered behind her before opening the hospital window's curtains letting in the radiant light to wash over the injured man.

"We know who you are. We read the manifesto, we found your lab"

Tossing the man some folders Jett stood at the foot of his bed before putting her arms behind her back whilst tapping her feet in the process, watching the man flip through the folders showcasing tourist attractions all around the world and the blueprint of a machine resembling the bombs inside the recently stolen explosives package.

"They're’s been never peace without first a great suffering. The greater the suffering, the greater the peace. See, this will unite them. When they read the manifesto they will understand-"

Turning her back to the sunlight she strode towards the man before picking up the folders and throwing it away from him.

"No ones gonna read that manifesto. Ever. I can promise you that"

"What day is it? How long have I been here?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Jett asked before tightly grabbing the handles on the foot of his bed forcing her body closer to the mad scientist.

"I-I-I was driving... Someone hit me-"

"That was two weeks ago"

Reyna randomly interjected in their conversation making the scientist turn his head towards the Radiant.

"Two weeks?"

"Two weeks"

"This is yours isn't it?"

Jett raised up her hand to reveal a phone with intricate settings and applications within it. An operating system only used by one specific company.

"This is how you communicated with Kingdom, isn't it?"

"Yes, Kingdom"

"We know all about Kingdom"

"You know nothing!"

The man spat out causing Reyna's shoulder and arms to visibly tense up but her brief moment of anger was quelled by Jett raising up her hand forcing all of the air around Reyna to firmly push her backwards.

"There is information on this phone that could lead us to them. And you have the passcode"

"You think Kingdom is the enemy? You, well whoever you are, you are the enemy. Your world survives whilst the suffering goes on"

"Shut up! We don't care about you. All we want is Kingdom"

Jett trying to quell the yelling Reyna with her powers continued her seemingly civilized conversation with the scientist.

"What if we make a deal?"

"No there is no deal, Jett. Step outside"

Her powers were not enough to contain Reyna as Jett saw her rush towards the man with fury in her eyes causing her to speedily dash onto Reyna pushing her back with all her might with her added wind powers in the process horrifically watching as she snarled at the injured man flashing him her sharp canines whilst her eyes and tattoo began to shimmer once again.

"Just give me five minutes with this guy!"

"Reyna, I can't let you do that, that's not who we are"

"Maybe we need to reconsider that"

"What if they read the manifesto in the air?"

Jett continued to probe the man whilst trying to hold Reyna back from tearing out his insides and bathing in his blood.

"What? You can do that?"

"We can do it with a phone call"

"Well if he reads Kingdom's manifesto?"

Glancing at the plasma TV in front of him the scientist watched the news in the background stating that several organic-targeted explosives have gone off in megacities killing numerous people.

"No!"

Reyna shrieked as she tried to push past Jett and towards the crooked madman making him flinch as she moved closer to the bed itself.

"I can give you the passcode"

He laughed wholeheartedly once again causing Reyna to lash out against the man nearly scraping him with her hands but curiously enough her hands and forearms were semi-transparent with a purple colour and her hands were reshaped into a more animalistic clawlike formation.

"Reyna. Reyna!"

Wheezing the man watched as Jett used up all of her might to push Reyna as far away from the man as possible before wrapping her arms right around the murderous Latino who's hatred-filled eyes were burning into the soul of both her and the man himself.

"Think, Reyna. Think of the greater good. Please"

"Yeah. You should do that"

The man barked back as Reyna gradually stopped her assault on Jett before dialling up Cypher's number with her phone.

"The subject won't comply unless the manifesto has been read by the news. Send it to them now"

Ending the call she slipped the phone once again into her pockets before turning up the volume of the television. Sighing with disappointment before collapsing onto a chair right behind her followed by Jett moving towards a computer built inside a briefcase right next to the man, flicking it open before plugging in the man's phone.

"-Trading and global markets plummeted. Stand by. I'm told we're about to get some additional information. I've just been handed a document from Karim Solveig, a nuclear weapons specialist who claims to have built the weapons used in these attacks. I've been asked to read this manifesto in its entirety."

"There has never been peace without first a great suffering. The greater the suffering, the greater the peace. As mankind is drawn to his self-destruction like a moth to the candle, the so-called defenders of peace, the church, the government, the law, work tirelessly to save humanity from itself. But by averting disaster, they serve to delay a peace..."

Tapping in the passcode into his phone he tossed it back to Jett before resuming watching the news broadcast.

"It's not gonna help you now"

"-that can only come through an inevitable baptism of fire. The suffering I bring you is not the beginning of the end. It is the beginning of a greater mutual understanding..."

"What's done is done"

Through a sneer, Reyna pierced his malicious eyes with her own before watching Jett plug the phone back into the computer allowing them full access to the inner workings of the organic-targeted explosives the Valorant Protocol dubbed: Spikes.

"Did we get it?"

"We got it"

Hearing the man wheeze whilst laughing, the sneer on her face soon warped into a devious grin as she intertwined her fingers.

"Now"

Immediately afterwards the lights outside the room turned off with a boisterous thud before Reyna stood up from her seat as the walls of the supposed hospital room fell backwards revealing a hangarlike room with a separate wall-less room right next to it resembling the news recording room on the TV. Frightened the heart rate monitor right beside the man started spiking upwards as the news reporter entered the room wearing a pitch-black and dark blue suit with a scarf-hood hybrid around his neck.

"Did we get it?"

The news caster's croaky voice talked to Reyna causing her to nod ever so slightly.

"Of course we got it"

Nodding back the man promptly slipped his hood on instantly turning the skin on his head to a steamlike vapour before being replaced by a viscous darkness with three vertical lines on its face horrifying the mad scientist so much that he jumped on his bed.

"Told you we'd get it"

His voice completely changed as well as Omen adopted his original voice once more.

"I-I don't understand? The attacks didn't happen?"

"The car accident you were in. It was an hour ago"

Smugly walking in between Reyna and Jett Omen slammed his hands onto the foot of the bed before cocking his head menacingly.

"I was driving the other car"

Smiling ear to ear in absolute joy Reyna slowly approached the man before pulling out her violet coloured silenced pistol and brandishing it in front of the man.

"What's done is done,"

Pressing the barrel against his temple she grinned manically one last time.

"When we say it's done"

Firing a singular shot through the man's head his flesh splattered all over the pillow as his heart rate monitor flat-lined. Sensing a wave of euphoria rush through her body she slipped her pistol behind her back before turning around on her heel.

"Do you always play with your food, Reyna?"

Omen grunted as he tossed the man's corpse onto the floor as Viper arrived with her finalized acid canister.

"Won't get a good taste if you don't play with it. You know this more than most people here"

Reyna flashed Omen a toothy grin reminding him of their brief nocturnal even. Watching Jett rush over to Phoenix who was tinkering with the lights whilst Omen decided to strike up a conversation with Viper, white noise rang through Reyna's right ear as a gravelly old voice came through her earpiece.

"Come to the briefing room ASAP. Your presence is requested"

Brimstone's voice echoed through her ear leading to Reyna heading towards the nearest elevator before pressing its button waiting for the metal room to descend right in front of her. Waiting patiently she began flicking her sharpened nails repeatedly until the familiar ding echoed across the room revealing Sage wearing the same attire and same hairdo since their little bathroom business. Without uttering a single word Reyna slid right next to the woman whilst playfully biting her lower lip but before they could get any more physical the closing door was abruptly held open by Sova's hand as he entered the elevator.

"Hello, ladies. Got a call from Brimstone as well?"

Seeing them both shake their heads, Sova put his hands behind his back before facing the door letting the women behind him out of his sight. Taking this to her advantage Sage purposely dropped her hair pins onto the ground before gradually picking them up one by one and soon enough when she stood back up again she dragged her fingers up Reyna's legs before plunging her hand in between Reyna's legs.

Unfortunately, Sova had to sit there and listen as the light chuckling and moaning behind him became increasingly louder and soon enough it was the only thing occupying his mind until the door swang open revealing a rectangular table filled with figurines and holographic displays, Brimstone and Breach lingered around the table until they saw Sova and Sage who luckily pulled out her hand just in time.

"Naughty girl. That'll get you a lashing"

Reyna murmured into Sage's ear as they wandered towards the planning room, on the table itself was an overview of what seemed to be a stylized ballroom filled with faceless people and Kingdom logos draped from at every wall.

"From the intel, you two pried out of the scientist we have another lead about these so-called Spikes. This time a lead scientist is present. You three will be going to a Kingdom organized ball where that scientist will be there exchanging valuable Spike information with terrorists from the middle east. They will be likely working under their pseudonym: Crown Coffee-"

Breach abruptly interrupted the man as he pointed at the active agents.

"Sova, you will be the recon. You will provide Agent Reyna and Sage with visual and target intel. Only engage when their cover is blown. Of course, Reyna and Sage will be on the ground. You two will grab the intel and get out as fast as possible, lethal force is authorized for the scientists and the collectors but no collateral damage. Sova, you're with me. I have something to give to you"

Watching as the two agents disappeared into the distance the women were left with Brimstone configuring his forearm device.

"Do me a favour and get Reyna checked, Mirai. See if that little experiment she did on herself had any adverse effects"

Grinning madly on the inside, Sage wandered back inside the base with Reyna on her tail, made her walk through various corridors and doors until they landed in a vanilla-white room filled to the brim with hospital beds, EKG machines, MRI machines, X-ray scanners and the sort. Immediately as they closed the door Sage dove into her pockets to pull out a little note unknowingly disappointing Reyna as she didn't do anything... physical.

"From a scan, we took earlier it seems that the orb has amplified the amount of Radianite energy inside you. That explains the occasional times your skin turns semi-transparent, the energy is creating something new but I don't know what it will create but it is sure to be beneficial"

Reyna noticed how Mirai's eyes drifted towards her mouth, how her expression turned from curiosity to hunger and longing.

Mirai had no idea what she was doing. She suddenly leaned forward the few centimetres still separating Reyna and herself and ever so tenderly placed her lips on top of Reyna's, barely breathing a kiss onto the other woman's mouth. It was the most chaste of pecks, but it was there.

And to Mirai's infinite horror, it wasn't returned. Reyna turned into a statue, frozen in place. A gorgeous, breathtakingly made marble statue, but a statue nonetheless. She jerked her head back, the very image of regret and rejection written on her face.

"I'm... I'm sorry! Sorry! I don't know what just came over me, it was just, I... I didn't mean, I thought..."

She stammered, frantically trying to come up with something, anything to get their budding relationship out of that situation undamaged, but knowing that ship had already sunken.

"Listen we-"

Her apologizing was cut short by Reyna snapping out of her stupor and grabbing Mirai's shoulders to bring them forward, crashing her lips against Mirai's with force. It wasn't light at all, but needy and demanding and Reyna didn't wait long to start licking over Mirai's lips with her tongue. A request for entrance which was easily granted, tongue slipped into the Healer's mouth, savouring her taste and wrestling for dominance with their tongues.

They broke apart, panting and hot.

"Well, I meant it"

Reyna managed, looking into Mirai's eyes, stroking a strand of hair out of the way.

"I never thought you were this hungry. This craving will soon be sated"

Mirai chuckled, not believing this was truly happening as Reyna was known as the Succubus for her infamous and lethal one night stands with a multitude of people. Pulling Reyna down onto the examination couch with her for some more intense snogging. There was a realistic chance that Mirai's heart had never beaten faster or with more excitement anytime before, she felt the intense heat radiating off Reyna's body and through her clothes and it was driving her nuts. Her perfume was in her nose and the sensation of Reyna's moist lips and tongue pressed to hers was overloading Mirai's brain with fireworks. She wanted more, needed more, too long did she wait for this to hold back now even though their exciting fiasco was only yesterday. Her lips felt heavy when she grabbed on Reyna's bodysuit, tugging on it and trying to pull it down.

Sucking Reyna's lower lip into her mouth and carefully biting down on it, Mirai was delighted by the whimpering moan which escaped the Vampire. She used this moment to pull the annoying bodysuit off from Reyna's body, an action the agent willingly made even easier, by letting her hands off Mirai for a moment. The fabric fell to the ground and Mirai wrapped her arms around Reyna's muscular waist. The form-fitting skintight leather suit and pants Reyna was wearing underneath showed just how great of a figure the Vampire had and Mirai didn't waste a second to let her hands explore those absolutely perfect curves, before she grabbed Reyna and turned them around, pinning the agent underneath Mirai's body.

Reyna moaned, reaching up into Mirai's hair and pulling her face down to hers.

"So aggressive all of a sudden, hmm?"

Reyna moaned, letting her hands slide over Mirai's arms and finally resting them on her hips where she started pulling the other woman's leather suit out of her pants.

Mirai pulled her head back a little.

"Too fast?"

She asked with the slightest bit of hesitation suddenly in her voice. By that time Reyna had already pulled the shirt out and let her hands run over the hot and overly sensitive skin underneath. She leaned up and licked down Mirai's jawline, sucking hard at the pulse point on her neck before nibbling her way up to the earlobe.

"You decide, Mi alma"

She purred throatily, while undoing the bra underneath Mirai's dress with a snap of her fingers.

"Fuck, you're driving me wild"

Mirai moaned, feeling Reyna's hands move on her skin, and cupping her breasts. She was sure that she couldn't form even a single straight thought anymore. Her head was filled with Reyna, lying in front of her with lusty beguiling purple eyes, her hands roaming over her hot body. She could literally taste the other woman, despite not kissing her any more. A fact she needed to change immediately.

Plunging back down onto Reyna, Mirai kissed and licked down her partner's neck and in between the few open buttons of her pants while simultaneously undoing the piece of clothing. Opening it up button by button was giving her so much more skin to kiss and the Healer made sure not to miss even the smallest spot. She was so caught up in the process that she couldn't even recall when Reyna had put up her knee a little in between the other woman's legs. It didn't matter, for Mirai soon found herself grinding against Reyna's leg, desperately searching for friction.

One was leading the other in their hasty exploration of the other's body. Hot moans and gasps filled the small room and both Vampire and Healer were completely lost in the sensation. Reyna felt how Mirai slipped a hand up her thigh and underneath her pants, so she spread her legs apart for the other woman. She also grabbed the hem of Mirai's dress, pulling it up. The Healer had been wearing a tight dress, so when Reyna pulled it up she tore her panties down by accident. Not that Mirai had any inclination to complain. The sudden cold gush of air against the arousal between her legs made her suck in a sharp breath, clearing her mind briefly enough to process that all this was actually happening. She was on top of her personal succubus, who was lying underneath her with her shirt opened and hanging to the sides and both pant and bra pulled up, exposing so much of the Vampire's bronzed skin, together with full breasts and perky nipples. The outfit Reyna usually wore didn't do the true size of her breasts justice. They were amazing.

"Don't stare..."

Reyna complained squirming a little under Mirai's gaze and sporting the most adorable little blush on her cheeks. Mirai bent forward, cupping her lover's breasts in her hands and kissing her hard.

"You're even more perfect than I ever imagined"

She told her with such blatant honesty, Reyna could only blush even more.

"I'm an old woman..."

Reyna moaned, but Mirai stared at her.

"We're not even in our forties yet. You're a goddess"

She told her.

"I always thought so"

"M-Mirai..."

Reyna tried, not knowing what to do or say. She felt so vulnerable and exposed and at the same time, the arousal was driving her crazy. She was thinking some pretty explicit things right now and was also acutely aware of just how good Mirai's body looked with her dress halfway pulled up. Her perfectly flat belly was absolutely breathtaking and now that Reyna could see everything of Mirai and allowing herself to really look, she also noticed a miniature tattoo saying "Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat" right above her breasts. It was giving her crazy ideas.

"I want you"

Mirai moaned with a needy expression.

Reyna could only stare and pull her closer, hot naked skin touched hot naked skin and it was almost like electric sparks were flying between them.

"Take me then"

Reyna allowed.

"Make me yours"

And with that Mirai didn't hold back anymore. She slid down Reyna's body, leaving a trail of hot and wet kisses in her wake before she reached her destination between the Vampire's legs. Pulling her black and completely drenched panties to the side Mirai was overwhelmed by the scent. She took a deep breath savouring it to the fullest. It smelled amazing and Reyna's arousal was so obvious. She let her fingers glide over the neatly trimmed skin right above the spot, eliciting yet another moan from Reyna. She couldn't tease her any longer so Mirai did what she wanted to do for so long and placed a kiss on Reyna's other lips.

The Vampire was in heaven, her nervous system hypersensitive and arousal filling every fibre of her body. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as Mirai was working her magic. She buried her hands in her lover's thick black hair, pulling her closer. Reyna couldn't remember a minute in her life where she felt better than right in that moment.

That moment, however, didn't last very long. As Reyna could already fell the buildup of her impending release, the familiar tightness in her body increasing and the muscles starting to tense up more and more, Mirai had to see how someone opened the door into the examination room.

She was frozen in place, unable to say or react in any way as she saw a familiar person walk into the room.

Viper.

The former Kingdom chemist made it two steps into the room, before she stopped, looking at a Reyna in very much improper state of clothing, and a not much better, in fact even worse, Mirai.

She perked up an eyebrow before she started laughing. Or maybe more chuckling in that evil way of hers.

Mirai's head shot up from in between Reyna's legs spinning around and staring at the newcomer, her mouth still obviously very wet.

"It's... It's..."

Sage tried, but nothing came to mind.

Viper just grinned devilishly, the mischief written clearly on her face.

"Oh, it is exactly what it looks like"

She stated fixing Mirai with an icy stare.

"How could you do this, doc? She is your patient! Abusing her trust like that, I really thought you'd be better than this, Mirai"

Mirai's mouth opened and closed without any sound coming out. She felt her cheeks burning up in shame as she tried to avoid feeling guilty. It wasn't what happened. It wasn't how things went. Were they? Heavens above, Viper's deadly glare was almost painful on her skin. But then it changed and the corners of Sabine's lips perked up into a teasing smile.

"Knew you two would do it"

She giggled as she turned around again.

"I'll leave you two to it. Maybe lock the door next time? Just an idea there."

Viper halted in her movement as if she just remembered the reason she was here in the first place.

"Oh, before I forget it. the escort for the both of you are about to arrive"

"Already?"

Reyna blurted and Viper just rolled her eyes. She couldn't honestly say that she'd be amused to leave if the situations were to be reversed.

"I'll tell them you're busy at the moment and that you'll swing by a bit later, yes?"

She offered.

"Uhm, yeah... thank you"

"Good"

She nodded, making her short pitch-black hair wiggle a little.

"Now you better get back to work, darling, that woman looks like she's about to explode"

Viper grinned, cheekily winking at Mirai over her shoulder, before she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

There was a long, heavy moment of silence in the room where both women sat next to each other, the reality of what they had been doing dawning on both of them as they took in their state of undress.

"Go and lock the door, Mirai"

Reyna said sitting up and unzipping her pants.

"And then you better finish what you started"

She added with a naughty smirk while stripping off her soaking panties.

"Yes Ma'am!"

####  **An Hour and a Half Later, The Ballroom Event**

"Target is in sight. South of your position"

Within the cramped space of the ballroom, various men and women were fluttering from place to place oblivious to the fact that two VALORANT agents were roaming around in their midst whilst their recon scout simply sat on top of the gale-affected roof watching the agents with is cybernetic eye and a storm brewing in the distance with his other. Inside the ball Sage wore a tight white shirt with a short ebony pencil skirt and dagger like high heels whilst Reyna simply wore a raven-coloured suit with a white shirt and bowtie finished off with formal pants and oxford shoes. Slow dancing discreetly the pair soon began to turn around to see a well-dressed man and a bunch of middle eastern people heading towards a set of stairs whilst their guards lingered around the entrances.

"There's no other way in other than loud lethal force. What do we do, Reyna?"

"We go in loud"

Heading towards the scientist, Reyna slipped her hand away from Sage's own before roaming towards the man who instantly recognized her as a sneer of disgust appeared on his face. Keeping intense eye contact the crowd began to part revealing a bunch of security guards behind him as the music dropped down to a deafening silence. From afar Sage watched as Reyna swiftly pulled out her pistol firing at all the visible guards, every time she fired a hole was drilled through their heads but even she wasn't quick enough to catch up with the terrorists and the scientist himself.

"This scientist is not the carrier! Go to the designated meet point and find the real one!"

Reyna yelled into her earpiece as she ran off into the depths of the ballroom leaving Sage to dash up the nearby stairs towards the top floor. Regretting wearing high heels to a mission that had a high chance of being spotted she remained oblivious to the heavily-built man standing near the top of the stairs as she fell right into his plan as he swung his left arm forward tripping up Sage and throwing her onto the ground before pulling out his pistol but as he was aiming towards the Healer she simply smashed her hand onto the man's wrist dropping the pistol onto the ground before launching a volley of punches on his head and chest but to no effect causing Killian to resort to an unkind way of incapacitating her target by kicking him repeatedly in between his legs but curiously it caused no effect on the guard as it charged towards Sage with a mighty growl before tossing her forwards a bit. Seeing the ogre grab the gun again Sage rushed towards him stunning the man with a barrage of punches before grabbing his arm and putting it on her right shoulder pulling it downwards, therefore fracturing his firing arm with a loud crack.

Picking up the weapon just in time as the man charged again she emptied half of the gun's magazine into his side before clambering onto his back where he tried to shake the woman off but to no avail as she shot him thrice near the neck before resorting to shooting him on the top of his head immediately causing the heavily-built human to fall onto the ground. Tossing out the gun's magazine with a flick of his wrist she dove into the creature's pockets grabbing a few magazines before shoving them inside her shirt but as she walked further into the corridor she heard the ogre groan in agony to which Sage swiftly turned around and shot the man once again through the head silencing him for good.

Crouching Sage began to roam through the various hallways and door on the floor watching the guards rush downstairs to deal with Reyna until only one person was left. A person holding onto a biometric-locked briefcase. Moving out of her cover Sage revealed herself to the man who began to hold up a badge.

"Diplomatic immunity"

Raising her armed hand she pointed it directly towards the man's head before smiling menacingly and firing a round through the man's head.

"Has just been revoked"

Holstering her weapon she calmly walked towards the dead scientist, picking up his suitcase before walking down the staircase once again and soon enough the entire ballroom was filled with bodies.

"Package acquired. Extraction required"

"Confirmed. Coming down from my nest"

Sova replied as Sage stepped outside of the massacred mansion seeing Reyna, without a single mark on her body, sitting on a bench staring off into the distance until she saw Sage sit down next to her.

"You got the package?"

"Yeah I did. You managed to kill a lot of people without getting shot. Are you sure you're alright, Reyna?"

Mirai, filled with concern, asked Reyna to which she simply grinned lightly before nodding ever so slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks"

Hearing a few audible groans coming from inside the mansion Reyna sat up from her seat before patting a still concerned Sage.

"Let me handle this. Just sit here and relax"

Sage, perplexed by her sudden politeness but thought nothing of it, waited calmly as two loud bangs came out of the mansion but horrendously a black van rapidly approached the place of massacre, a vehicle which Sage assumed to be reinforcements. Watching Reyna calmly sit back down again Sage became fidgety as the van came too close for comfort.

"It seems that we have a problem, Reyna"

Smiling eerily Reyna turned her head towards the Healer before cocking her head robotically.

"You keep calling me Reyna. You really shouldn't"

A wave of panic washed over Sage as a confused expression attached itself to her face.

"You're not... Reyna?"

Making a knifelike position with her right hand, the so-called Reyna smashed her hand against Sage's neck knocking her unconscious as the van parked right in front of her before the doors swang open revealing a near-identical copy of Phoenix, Jett and even Sage herself but instead of their standard eye colour all of them possessed glowing amber eyes which the fake Reyna soon adopted into her own.

"No"

Grabbing the briefcase she handed it to the fake Phoenix.

"Phoenix, grab onto this"

Handing him the confidential information she cracked her fingers before heading inside the van.

"Let's get out of here. Bring Sage with us"

Her voice also immediately changed, switching from a thick Mexican accent to a more standardized American accent as Jett and the copy of Sage shoved the unconscious Healer onto the back of their van. Readjusting the metal pin on her bodysuit labelling her a Kingdom agent Reyna slammed the wall separating the back from the driver's seat and soon enough the copies drove off into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Aaliyah Rose - Warriors (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Theme Song)  
> Natti Natasha - Pa' Mala Yo  
> Dua Lipa - Break My Heart


	7. Cauchemar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Torture, Torture and most importantly torture

**Unmarked Kingdom controlled base codename "Icebox", Himalayas, 1:00 AM**

Mirai Kimur's world was dark, as she had yet to regain consciousness. That state was rather violently forced upon her when she felt a sharp pain stinging her cheek accompanied by a loud smacking noise.

"Nap time is over. Wake up, bitch!"

A breathy voice yelled. Sage's eyes fluttered open after another heavy and painful smack to her face. Her lower lip was throbbing, and she had a metallic taste in her mouth. Blood.

Sage swallowed heavily, trying to comprehend what was going as she forced her eyes open. Her memory was completely blank, and there was an annoying tingling pain on her entire throat.

"Gah, what happened?"

Sage thought as she squeezed her eyes shut for a second and opened them again, hoping it would somehow improve her blurry vision... which it only did partly, yet enough to take in her surroundings.

The first thing Sage noticed was how dirty the room around her was. The filthy metal was covered in a mix of brown-red rust and an indistinguishable green slime, most likely some kind of algae. The dim light, coming from an old dark green lampshade, was softly swinging back and forth. Just like a few heavy chains, not any less rusty than the walls, which were hanging from strong metal rails on the ceiling. Sage had to be on some kind of factory.

Apart from that, there wasn't an awful lot worth mentioning in the small room other than maybe the revolting stench of decay and old blood. Strangely enough, there also was the slightest hint of hot coffee in the air, but that was basically everything. Oh, yes, and the uncomfortable chair Sage was currently sitting on. Her slender arms were tied tightly to the armrests and her legs bound to each side of the chair. From the simple sting and nausea she was getting from the metal she already knew what it was made out of.

Sage's head was hurting like the twelve o'clock train just rushing through it, but she was sure the reason for that weren't the rocky ride she was in or the hard slam against her neck. Her memories were starting to go from nonexistent to hazy.

She had been on a covert turned volatile mission which bullets were flying all around the place. That much Sage remembered. Reyna accompanied her and... suddenly everything came back to her in an instant.

Kingdom's attack on her.

Sage waiting outside for Reyna, the truck and the bizarre eyed Reyna forcing Sage unconscious before abducting her.

And now Sage was tied to this chair inside a damp and moldy room God knows where. She took a deep breath which would have almost proven a mistake. The smell was so disgusting, Sage almost puked. But the Healer knew she had to try and stay calm and, even more importantly, quiet for now. There were heavy footsteps walking around somewhere behind her. So she was not alone. Obviously someone had to have smacked her before.

She took this opportunity to gather as much information about her circumstances. There were a couple of cameras on tripods which were recording her and opposite to her the rusty wall was interrupted by a large mirror. Most likely one of these semi see-through versions with a small room on the other side. Sage saw her reflection in the mirror, her formerly perfect dress dirty and torn. Her hair became undone and was falling out of the tight ponytail she liked to tie.

Sage looked almost as filthy as she felt. Strangely enough, whoever had punched her in the face was nowhere to be seeing in the reflection. She could only hear that person move around somewhere behind her.

She groaned, looking down on her body, and saw that something on her lower arm, shortly above the inside of her wrist, wasn't quite the way it used to be. Something was added which should not have been there. Sage had to concentrate on the spot for a moment, her eyes still not fully complying to her brain's order. But once they did, Sage immediately recognized what was added to her body.

Now there was the Kingdom logo tattooed onto her forearm with the added addition of a few numbers next to it, a mark which obviously had not been there before. It bore some horribly close resemblance to the identification number of a pug in a slaughter-house. Apparently, Mirai Kimur was little else to Kingdom.

She needed to compose herself. Sage herself was a Valorant operative. She was taught how to handle herself in these situations and she promised herself that she would get out of here wherever here was supposed to be and home safe and sound. No matter what.

The sound of heavy footsteps on rusty ground was coming closer, and a figure holding a steaming hot mug in her hand walked into her view. Mirai gulped as she prepared her mind for what she knew would come soon. Resistance to Interrogation training had been some time ago for her, but she remembered. It wasn't like the stuff they taught you during the two weeks of necessary hell was easily forgotten.

Right now she was happy that her arguments of 'a field medic not needing any training in these kinds of affairs' was met with deaf ears of her superiors.

Sage grunted as she tried to pull on her restraints, knowing nothing would happen, but still wanted to at least try. She yanked two times on her hands and feet, only for the metal to cut deeper into her flesh.

"That is wasted energy"

The Fake Reyna said, smirking at Sage in a very unsettling way before sipping on her mug, making an obnoxious, slurping sound. Fake Reyna wasn't at all like Sage expected. From the sound she made while she was moving, the woman had to be shorter and heavier than the Real Reyna.

But that wasn't the case.

The woman was an exact replica of the real person. Like every bit and piece of her was photocopied from Reyna. Every curve and shape were exactly where they should've been except for her malicious amber-yellow eyes. She wore a black uniform underneath a dark grey rubber apron, which reminded Sage horribly of the things butchers at a slaughterhouse wore. There was dried blood on the apron as well.

"妈的..."

The fake bowed down to Mirai's forcibly composed face, letting a hand run up on the inside of Sage's thigh before she turned it outwards and continued up her side. Sage tried not to twitch at her disgusting touch, but she probably failed to some extent. Her body was too tense; she couldn't tell. Her calloused hands was gliding up her body, suddenly cupping her chin, lifting it up with two fingers. Sage noticed that the interrogator was wearing at least one ring on ever finger, some made of silver, some made of gold, but all were rather large.

"It's good to see that you have finally woken up, Muñeca"

She whispered in a mocking tone, her voice was completely unlike her Reyna's, her Latino-American accent sounded completely forced and gravelly unlike Reyna's silky smooth yet thick Mexican accent. Her breath smelt minty and like cold snakes. Sage turned her head in disgust, at least as far as her fingers would allow her to.

The Medic felt her heart rate skyrocket, but she did her best to let this go by unnoticed. She needed to concentrate. Sage knew there was torture ahead of her and she needed to be ready. The Radianite energy her body constantly produced would help her, but she would still have to steel her mind for what Kingdom had in store for her.

"I have grown impatient"

The fake murmured and sounded positively excited, almost needy, about getting started.

"Oh great, someone who likes her job"

Naturally, Sage's thought's excitement was very limited at this point.

"And who are you supposed to be?"

"Oh you know who I am. Just came here to pop in. I can hustle like that"

Swiping a stray metal chair the fake Reyna sat down in front of the tied Bastion.

"What happened to the real Reyna?"

"Probably still back at that ball with that little Russian boy looking for you"

The copy whispered whilst Sage tried to completely ignore the hand roaming freely over her beautiful body. Luckily she was still wearing that dress, otherwise Sage would've thrown up. If touching her was supposed to scare her, it failed miserably. At least Mirai tried to tell herself that she wasn't scared. She insisted that, if anything, she was disgusted.

"Get your fucking hands off me, 王八蛋"

She hissed. Kingdom employed Reyna's face fell. She took a moment in which she didn't move, and Sage almost suspected she might have struck a nerve. Then, out of nowhere, she brought her other hand forward, the one holding her steaming hot cup, and hurled the entire cup of boiling coffee straight into her face.

A fraction of a second Sage didn't feel anything. Then the pain hit her like a gigantic tsunami, her skin feeling like it was torn off by acid and on fire at the same time, while the hot liquid was flowing down her face and onto her body, burning her flesh.No matter how hard she tried not to, Sage cried out in pain, her hands gripping tightly on the chair's armrest as she tried to shake the liquid off her face. But the damage was done, it felt like someone was rubbing the skin off her attractive face with rough sandpaper. It took a few minutes until the pain faded away and Mirai didn't scream anymore. She was breathing heavily, glad that the nasty scars and burns on her face and chest would be gone in a few minutes or so. Her Radiant physiology would both prove a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she would be able to survive way more than the ordinary human, and a curse for the same very reason.

"You talk only when I ask you to!"

She ordered harshly.

"But who rude of me, not introducing myself properly. Where are my manners?"

She laughed haughtily.

"You can call me Reyna as the person I am in this universe is called that. Welcome to my kingdom. We are going to have so much fun together while I mold you into your new self"

Somehow Sage expected more. Sure, the pain faded from her face was enough of a reminder that this woman was not to be underestimated, but still. Sage expected more, she thought she would threaten her with more pain or with whatever else. But that was... it was ridiculous.

She was mocking her.

Her blood was boiling and, for a second, there might have been a faint purplish shimmer in her otherwise dark eyes; one that the fake Reyna missed.

Her kingdom? What was this girl thinking? Didn't she take herself seriously at all? Or was she actually believing her own bullshit? Sage's lips escaped a slightly bemused snort.

"Oh, you think that is laughable?"

She asked, raising a brow. He looked rather murderous at the moment.

"Your kingdom? Please. I am sure you could come up with something both more intimidating and original?"

Sage replied. Fake Reyna nodded slowly before she leaned close to Mirai, grabbing the neck of her dress and roughly tearing it down. The fine silk tore apart with a loud noise as she ripped the fabric apart.

"You don't get it, do you? You are in my kingdom because I can do with you whatever I please. No one cares as long as I get the job done"

She said, roughly ripping Sage's dress in two halves. She took a moment to stare at her now exposed chest.

"Ts ts. No bra? What a filthy bitch"

She laughed, patting her cheek way too hard to be friendly. Obviously.

The lids on Fake Reyna's left eye were twitching as she noticed that the beautiful burn on Mirai's face and chest were gone. She read her file and knew she could do that whole self-healing thing, but still, Fake Reyna hoped it wouldn't work so fast. Where was the fun in that?

Sage just snorted in bemusement at her strange expression. That brought the Fake Reyna back as she stepped in reverse a little before punching Sage straight across her face without any warning. Her knuckles impacted harshly on Mirai's face, the true function of her many rings becoming painfully apparent while they pierced through her skin. The Healer's head was yanked to one side, and the skin on her cheekbone burst open, dark red blood streaming out of the wound. Her lower lip was throbbing in pain again, and Sage had the taste of iron yet again.

"Still think this is funny?"

She asked before she hit the other side of Sage's face as well, followed by a hard kick into her stomach. Her heavy military boots connected with her abdomen. If the torturer had aimed just a bit higher, she would've smashed a few of Mirai's ribs. Her chair tripped from the impact and crashed roughly on the floor. Mirai's head smashed against the ground and there was a short second of all-consuming darkness rising in her head, while she coughed out blood.

And while Fake Reyna's blows were painful, Mirai knew they wouldn't leave a trace on her. Just like the burns from the coffee, which were most likely gone already. Knowing that was a huge mental confidence booster. No matter how much she would try to hurt her, and no matter how much she would try to hurt her, and no matter how much it would actually hurt, as long as Sage didn't cry out or admit the pain, it wouldn't leave any marks on her. No proof of the torturer's work. Not that Mirai was confident that she wouldn't cry, because she already did that.

But judging from her lusty smile, this woman enjoyed her job. So, taking this satisfaction away from her would be quite interesting.

Quite... amusing. She could hurt her by not screaming.

Sage was laughing now, which was visibly annoying to Fake Reyna. She took the opportunity to get the upper hand; at least the mental one. Mirai promised herself she would not sit here and pretend to be an easy victim. She would make this very hard for the fake. As hard as she could. For as long as she could.

Someone would come to rescue her sooner or later. She just had to hold out. Someone would come to help her. It was only a matter of time until the heavy door would be blown out of its angles followed by the real Reyna walking into the room guns blazing.

Mirai could see it in front of her eyes already. And Sage also knew that her ladylove would have an attentive comment about Mirai's state of undress on her lips.

The rattling of metal instruments, however, was doing little to bolster her overinflated confidence.

"Screwdriver, knife or nail?"

She asked Sage inquisitively, while she was clicking her heels to the floor in an unsteady pattern. The sound was unnerving.

"What?!"

Mirai asked in shock. She didn't even want to know.

"Ah, never mind. I figured it out"

She laughed, grabbing something from the cart. Then, she showed Mirai two rusty old nails, which he had been hiding, and nodded towards them. A moment of silence spread between the torturer and her victim before she violently slammed the two nails deeply into Sage's thighs, one into her left, one into her right. The sound was god-awful, especially when the tip pierced through her and into the chair. She could almost feel the rough rust rubbing off on the insides of her flesh, its remnants being carried away into her bloodstream.

Sage tried not to, but she couldn't contain her pain-filled cry which escaped loudly through her teeth. That shit did hurt a lot. Giving each nail a quick flick Fake Reyna turned around and walked past Sage to grab something else behind her. She returned moments later with two long starter cables which he clipped to the heads of the nails. The other ends were apparently already fixed to a power source.

"I like the sound of you screaming though"

She chuckled. Sage knew what would come, but the shock of the sudden electric current rushing through her body, sending her muscles into a painful frenzy and robbing her of any control she had, was way more brutal than she had anticipated.

"So scream some more for me!"

Mirai's heart was close to exploding as adrenaline levels were rising well above critical levels. She may have screamed, or maybe she didn't; Sage had no idea. There was just this horrible, all shattering tension in every last fibre of her body, and it felt like her flesh was on fire. If this would go on for a moment longer she'd-

Suddenly, the current was gone again, and Sage slumped in her chair, breathing heavily, trying to regain some posture, but failing. Slight steam was rising up from her legs, where the nails were stuck, and she realized that she had bitten her lips tightly enough to draw blood. Just like her palms, which her nails were buried into. She didn't know when she let go of the armrests. Mirai's legs were still shaking violently despite the current being turned off. It was most likely an after-effect.

"Oh, don't worry. That gets most people but not you"

Fake Reyna laughed, leaning close to Mirai.

"I don't have enough coffee around her for you. But don't worry, that was just the foreplay. The really fun stuff will come soon enough once the doctor arrives. Just for you."

Licking her lips her torturer sat back down on her metal chair before crossing her legs and making her thumb hover just above the remote control manipulating the amount of electricity that surged through The Healer's body.

"Where was I? Ah yes, the fun has just begun. You'll see"

Time slowed down as Sage watched her crank up the electricity via the dial and soon enough Mirai took a deep breath and closed her eyes waiting for the inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Kaleida - Think  
> Marina Kaye - Something  
> Silva Hound, Michael Kovach, Chi-Chi - Addict  
> Yugo Kanno - il vento d'oro


	8. Ignite

"Officially MIA [...] high alert. There was an incident in the late mission. [...] waiting for more information [...] Brimstone enabled [...] ghost-tracker protocol. [...] dispatched a shuttle [...] Return to headquarters ASAP. Operation commences [...] martial law [...] Good luck"

"Understood. Thank you, Brimstone"

Reyna replied numbly, putting the phone down. She stared straight ahead for a moment before she shook her head as if she wanted to get rid of something.

"я прошу прощения, Reyna"

Sova stated cooly, trying to hide his anguish. It wasn't Reyna's fault. Sooner or later one of their mission would have gone awry like now. He just hoped they would have a little bit more precious moments of peace. But his wish was unheard.

"I know"

She nodded sadly, her voice filled with concern and worry as she jumped out of bed and started to collect her stuff.

"How could I not see this happen? She got abducted and we knew nothing of it!"

Reyna was almost stammering with trembling voice, as she tried to find her belongings. She couldn't really concentrate, so finding her skintight pants and shimmering shoes and slipping into them was more a lucky hit than anything else. Which was proven when Reyna tried to locate her earrings. Where did that damn thing go? It couldn't be far, dammit.

Sova smiled supportively while he sat up from Reyna's bed. He spotted the earring Reyna was searching so desperately for, laying right on top of a drawer. So he walked over to it and picked it up to give to Reyna.

Their hands touched for a moment when he passed the Mexican her earrings and she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked deeply into Sova's eyes, the man who would never break his composure even though one of his only friends was abducted.

"Was it... Kingdom?"

"Brimstone hasn't said anything. He and Breach are still gathering information, it's total chaos. Could be. Hard to get ourselves out of this trouble hm, Reyna?"

The Russian tried to hide her insecurities behind a supportive smile, noticing that Reyna's hands were shaking badly.

"You will find her. I know you will and she will be fine, да?"

Sova reassured, squeezing Reyna's hands for a moment.

"Just use that smart head of yours and be careful, ok? Thimphu is still under martial law and... I don't want to see another agent dead"

Patting her concerned friend's shoulder lightly Sova wandered out of her room leaving the agent alone with herself and her intruding thoughts. Packing the clothes she brought to Bhutan she soon spotted a sparkling object protruding out of her spare pants to which she grabbed with curiosity to see that it was one of Sage's many rings that she wore. The Mexican sighed heavily whilst gritting her teeth. Sage was supposed to a relationship with no strings attached just like the one she had with Omen but she just had to get attached to her addictive body. She travelled light goddamn it, no baggage. That's how she survived but one simple connection formed and the foundations of her entire persona collapsed.

Slowly but surely her fear was being overcome by a blinding sense of fury, for her blindness of the situation, of her carelessness and of the crooked machinations of Kingdom. Unexpectedly the agents and soldiers roaming the corridors of Haven felt the full force of Reyna's hate-filled bellow as the Vampire stomped down the corridors heading towards Brimstone's office. All agents and soldiers on site edged away from her, watching with fear and curiosity as her eyes radiated fiery purple fire and her arms took on the same colour whilst remaining semi-transparent, the affects of the experiment shed performed on herself was becoming more and more evident, she was gaining a new ability.

Pressing her hand to a fingerprint scanner. The door beeped and slid open with a synthetic voice announcing her entry. Reyna walked inside and looked over her shoulder one last to see all the agents she knew gathering behind her before she walked off.

"Agent Reyna, finally. Where have you been hanging around again?"

Brimstone said, turning away from a large monitor.

"Brimstone"

Reyna nodded, choosing not to reply to anything else.

"Ghost-tracker protocol has been activated?"

"Yes. We are just waiting for the biological sample of her to arrive"

He said, gesturing toward another terminal.

"I can hasten up the process... I think"

While Brimstone questioned her idea, Reyna pressed her two fingernails to another scanner, which turned green before she typed her password into the console.

"Dr Kimur's DNA has been entered and has authorized the Ghost-tracker protocol. Enabling tracking device... please wait... please wait... please wait... signal detected. Narrowing down the exact location"

The AI's soft, yet clearly artificial voice announced.

"How did you do that?"

"How could I put this into words? She spilt the yoghurt into my fingers"

Reyna deviously grinned as Brimstone's mind immediately understood her euphemism.

"Ugh. Give me the location on the big screen!"

Morrison ordered, ignoring Reyna's words. A moment later the image of a snowy mountain, which was shown prior, was gone, replaced by a map and a blinking red point somewhere in the Himalayas.

"Is the target moving?"

Reyna asked.

"Yes, Ma'am"

The AI from somewhere in the room answered almost immediately.

"Target in motion"

"Calculate the time it takes from the current location to the base near Nepal"

Brimstone ordered. That took a little bit longer than the answer before.

"Sir, ensuing from the assumption that they won't change their base at the time and considering the optimal possible route at this time of year and with the current meteorological situation, the fastest time we should reach the Himilayas is in 7 hours and 48 minutes. Sir"

"Good"

Brimstone nodded, checking his watch. Almost eight hours. More than enough time to fly to Kathmandu, set up a provisory base of operation, wait for the correct time to strike when they have no way of responding to backup or emergency calls.

"Time is on our side, it seems. I will assemble a team"

He announced and turned to leave. He was stopped by Reyna reaching out and grabbing his sleeve.

Brimstone looked over his shoulder and knew exactly what would come. He just needed to look at the angry, spiteful expression on Reyna's face to know that he could forget about leading that operation

"No. You won't. I will lead the team. I will go and get her"

"Your emotional involvement is-"

"None of your business, pendejo. My word is final"

Reyna fixed Brimstone with one of her death glares which made it unquestionably clear that this discussion was over. There was no point in arguing any further; Reyna would never stand down.

"Fine. You go"

Brimstone grumbled, hoping Reyna would not get captured herself and ruin everything.

"Assemble a team"

He told her. Maybe it wasn't half bad that Reyna insisted on going. That would mean he had time to take care of something.

"I want Killjoy and Viper"

Reyna replied instantly, the planning she did during her stomp around base paying off. There was not a second to waste. This seemed an awful lot like a sneak in, sneak out kind of operation in rather close quarters. Something Breach and Brimstone was rather... unfavourable for.

The door into the command centre opened again, and a woman bearing ginger braided hair and who was surprisingly a bit more muscular than Reyna walked into the room. She wore a tight tank top that highlighted her heavily built arms and abdomen. Her face was too friendly yet contained some sort of grimness to it. There was just so much muscle everywhere.

"Reporting for duty, sir"

Skye said with a sliver of an Australian accent tied around her tongue, walking up to Reyna and Brimstone.

"Ma'am"

Skye quickly but accurately acknowledged Reyna, who wanted to speak up to tell her to drop the Ma'am, but the Australian had already turned back to Brimstone.

"You requested my presence?"

"I did"

Brimstone stated, sounding as if he had forgotten about it. He then remembered that he told someone to bring in the new agent... and Skye was the only new agent. Hence her presence. There was too much on his plate today, and his work was nowhere near done for the day. He still had to take care of something else, outside of this whole Sage abducted by Kingdom disaster.

"Not to be nosy, sir, but why is there a tactical map of Nepal on the screen?"

Skye wanted to know, looking a tiny bit suspicious. At least as suspicious as her stoic face would allow to get.

Reyna's eyes lit up in excitement for a moment and Brimstone knew exactly what would come.

"I will take her as well"

She said to Brimstone, who sighed. Called it. You have to make everything difficult, have you, Reyna?

"Inform Viper and Killjoy we'll meet at the shuttle in thirty minutes. I need the tactical files in 20. We got to save our doctor. Not a minute to waste"

Reyna announced loudly as she walked out of the command centre. She tried to sound positive, which might have fooled everyone as they barely knew her. She knew she had to fake it for the sake of everyone's morale. And Reyna had never been faking worse than right now. Sage's abduction was really chewing on her insides.

Brimstone was left behind shaking his head in disbelieve. This woman would one day be the death of him. But, unfortunately, he did need her; now more than ever.

"Seems like you have been chosen for a search and rescue operation"

The elderly soldier said to Skye.

"You heard the lady. In 30 minutes at the helipad"

"Sir, do I understand correctly? We are going to rescue Doctor Kimur? Everyone is talking about what happened to her"

"Yes. She was abducted by Kingdom. Reyna will inform you wholly once she briefs you all for the mission"

Brimstone replied, his voice clearly showing just how stressed out the man really was.

"I will head to the armoury then"

Skye stated with cold determination, giving her boss a quick salute before turning around to leave. The worst threat to mankind were Kingdom. Sick fucks thought they could do whatever they wanted and not pay the price. Fools. The crimes they committed in Australia. 

"Their recruiting"

Skye huffed loudly as she left the command centre.

"Mass abductions are no recruiting."

**A Kingdom checkpoint base near the base "Icebox", 8 Hours Later**

"What the fuck?"

Turning his head one of the Kingdom detectives saw the nearby elevator leading up to the crime scene swing open revealing four women he had never met. The one he deemed to be the leader has long platinum blonde hair and glowing blue eyes. She wore a light blue leotard with a sweetheart neckline and a pointed, purple belt. Beneath her leotard, she wears deep blue pants. Her leotard has white, butterfly sleeves that match a partial skirt hanging from her belt, atop her hips. The only thing the group had in common was a filled pistol holster.

"Detective Reid, Colonel Petras, NATO Protectorate Unit. We intercepted your initial report. My unit will take over this investigation.

Petras's voice was laced with a velvety British accent. She took a step forward before being halted by the officer.

"On what grounds? I mean this is a corporate murder case."

"If it were up to me. I'd stay out of your way, but I've got orders. So, um. Why not show us the turrets, and we can get this over with"

Putting her hands behind her back Petras stared deep into lead detective's eyes giving him the shivers as he felt her gaze slash at her very soul and inevitable he caved in.

"Fine. But no weapons"

"You heard the man"

Glancing behind at her only female squad she nodded her head letting her soldiers hand their pistols to the detective's subservient workers. Sighing he lead Petras into a nearby room revealing a bathroom filled with bullet-riddled bodies piled one on top of each other. A broken cylindrical piece of machinery made out of wires, metal and glass were in the middle of the room showcasing a presumably dead human inside, oddly his facial features resembled a canine's.

"Aside from the malfunctioning turrets that took out everybody in the room the being in the glass is a fucking freak show."

Pressing a button on the machine it brought up various confusing arrays of human anatomy and the sort. Things Petras unfortunately recognized.

"That's mil-spec. Unregistered"

"Well... whoever in Kingdom designed it was into some fucked gene splicing. They cut in canine DNA. That man in that cylinder is part dog"

Squinting at the dead man within the cylinder Petras nodded before resuming her scan of the data stored within the near broken machine.

"You sure it wasn't wolf?"

"Wolf? Dog? What's the difference? Start messing with your genome like that, next thing you know, you got a snout and four legs"

Smiling grimly the Colonel shook her head before laying a hand on the man's shoulder.

"You know what, Detective? I think I've seen enough. I'll get my technician to fix the turrets"

Walking back towards the living room Petras leapt up the stairs before waiting on the detective who soon enough gravitated back in front of her again.

"So, Colonel. What are you thinking?"

"Here's my considered opinion"

Smiling eerily she flashed him her abnormally sharp canines as she approached him grabbing his jacket's right collar in the process revealing his holstered pistol.

"If you kick a dog, it'll crawl back, lick your foot, begging for forgiveness"

Swiftly the Colonel grabbed the pistol with her free hand before swinging her left hand that was clutching the collar upwards knocking him backwards before firing two rounds into his chest making him fall down onto the marble floor and oddly enough Petras dropped the pistol. Almost like a performance, one of her teammates slid right under her arm and grabbed the pistol whilst their other teammates were fighting hand to hand with the police force within the room. Firing a singular round through a man's head the armed woman tossed the gun towards another friendly who turned around after running on the wall instantly grabbing it and speedily firing two rounds through the men chasing her. Whilst her allies dealt with the Kingdom forces Petras wandered towards the living room's chessboard before calmly knocking down every piece except for the two queens.

Turning back around she watched as the guards continued on falling, watching the last two guards be wiped out by her teammate standing next to the door Petras wandered back to the gravelly injured yet still conscious detective. Putting her hand up in the air the Colonel watched as her armed ally tossed the pistol right back into her who sneered at it before tossing it aside. Reaching behind her back she pulled out an iridescent purple silenced pistol before aiming it at the Kingdom detective's neck.

He tried to force his words through several stammers but to no avail as the blood clogged his throat. Soon enough the supposed Colonel to grab her cheek and strongly pull it on the opposite direction ripping away the synthetic skin mask to reveal tanned skin and the ethereal purple eyes of Reyna.

"Kick a wolf..."

Gaining her velvety Mexican accent once again she brandished her pistol in front of the man before released a toothy ear to ear smile and slowly pushing her finger backwards into the trigger.

"And he'll rip your face off"

Drilling a hole through the man's neck Reyna watched as Viper, Killjoy and Skye rip off their own mask, the Vampire knelt down onto the floor before slipping the gun into the detective's hand patting it in the process.

"Pack up. Let's go get our Sentinel back"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can see I've been watching too many Mission Impossible movies
> 
> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Flor - Hold On  
> Camila Cabello - Consequences  
> Pj Harvey - This Wicked Tongue  
> Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - God's Gonna Cut You Down


	9. Nightcall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a few references this time and this chapter might be poorly written due to the damned creation called tests and homework with the added stress to it but fortunately, the next chapter probably won't be that sloppy.

"Bonsoir, Jean Pierre"

Reyna wearing a suit with no tie or bowtie greeted a middle-aged man residing within the far outskirts of the base known as "Icebox". Letting Killjoy tamper with Kingdom's security controls she managed to convince the man in front of the Mexican that Reyna was, in fact, a high-ranking officer coming to his house to talk about the new access keys for the base. Bowing ever so slightly the man let Reyna inside allowing her to see who was living inside this luxurious house. From the high-pitched squeals and loud thumping right above her, she deducted that his children were playing right above them. Judging from the heated yet exquisite scent lingering within the air, dinner was just done cooking.

"Bonsoir madame Reyna. Please make yourself at home. Join us for dinner"

Stepping inside the home Reyna put her hands behind her back before gravitating towards the kitchen where she saw his spouse preparing the table with a gamy stew of various meats which was rather unpleasing to look at but her scent of smell told her the opposite.

"Salut, Reyna. Care to do the honours?"

Handing the Vampire an unopened wine bottle she nodded ever so slightly as she took off the cork with simply her two fingers shocking the French woman.

"Tu est un femme tres forte"

Smiling confidently she glanced over her shoulder to see Jean Pierre taking care of his children who decided now was a good time to walk down the stairs. Unbeknownst to the Valorant agent Jean Pierre immediately after tucking his children into their bed wandered towards his bathroom before diving into the cabinet underneath the basin pulling out a pistol, holstering it behind his back sneakily as he came back downstairs again. Unfortunately for Reyna, he knew of the masterless assassin known only to Kingdom as the Vampire, she was one of the biggest people who were a pain in the ass for the corporation as she continuously took out their allies and resources. He knew he and his family would get a hefty reward for the elimination for the killer.

Taking his seat on the dinner table he sat on the opposite side of Reyna whilst his wife served them their food.

"Must be nice being promoted to lead computer specialist. The job letting you have more time with your kids?"

Nodding his head he watched as Reyna began to dig into their meal but still, she kept a stern eye on the man.

"Must be nice coming home and finding your dearest and your kids safe and sound, hm? It feels good not worrying that they'll be kidnapped by some... stray organization isn't it?"

"It is. I wish I could say the same thing for you... Vampire"

Hearing her familiar pseudonym she gently set down her utensils before wiping her lips with a napkin watching as the man and herself stare into each other's eyes. Knowing her cover was already blown Reyna's hands began to move up her thighs towards her gun.

"I got to the bottom of it, Polnareff. I know everything. I hope you're not involved in this shit. Leaving Valorant like that, tsk tsk bad boy"

"W-what shit?"

His wife glanced back and forwards at the two adversaries unaware of what Reyna was talking about, her husband's involvement with Valorant and the presence of the Vampire within their household.

"This is not the time or place to talk about it"

"What involvement?"

"Are you?"

"My salary is x, my expenses are y. As long as my family is provided for I do not care. That is my entire involvement"

"What about the people I care about?!"

Reyna's voice began to ascend as well as the man's leaving his wife perplexed and increasingly scared.

"Valorant could not help my family so I had to switch to a better side"

"Where is the access key?!"

Reyna angrily grunted out causing the man to abruptly stand up before pointing his gun at the agent who sat there unmoved yet neglected the fact that a gun was pointed at her leaving his wife whimpering with fear in her seat.

"I don't know. I don't care. I am taking you out of this base!"

"Jean Pierre"

His wife murmured causing him to immediately bark back at her once again reducing her to whimpers.

"Tais-toi, Anastasie! Let's get going, dinner is over"

"I'm not finished yet"

"Yes you are"

The stern demand caused the Vampire to sit up from her seat with her eyes screaming murder.

"No, I'm not"

Pointing her suit's sleeve onto the table eighteen bullets slid out of her jacket and onto the dinner table. Attempting to fire his gun he was met with empty clicks as Reyna flicked all of the remaining bullets onto his face.

"That's what happens when you sit behind a desk. You forget things! Like the weight of a gun that's loaded and one's that not"

Speedily she unholstered her unique iridescent pistol which was now unsilenced before shooting his wife straight through the arm making her collapse onto the ground screaming out in pain as her husband was conflicted between helping her and yelling insults at Reyna's void-filled expression stamped onto her face.

"It's a flesh wound! But if you don't get me what I need, the last thing you'll see before you make your children orphans is the bullet I put between her eyes! Now, where is the access key?"

Rushing into his room Reyna followed suit, watching him tap away at the state of the art computer before letting it eject a pictureless silver and yellow card which Reyna grabbed gently before slipping it inside her coat pocket.

"You could've made this less painful if you were more concerned about my girlfriend and less concerned about your goddamn desk. Please apologize to your wife for me"

Furious, the technician turned around only for his face to meet the magazine end of Reyna's pistol, knocking him unconscious as the Mexican marched out of the ruined house and out into the bracing winds of the Himalayas.

"I've got the access key, Killjoy. Where to next?"

Unknown to the four agents on enemy grounds a chamber near all of them contained a doppelganger tormented and her victim. The room was an amalgamation of blood and sweat mixed with a barely tolerable heat. Sage was tied to a chair, her arms behind the back, completely naked with old blood dried all over her otherwise stunning body. There were a couple of clear infusions hooked up directly to the vein in her neck. She was breathing heavily while fake Reyna was walking up and down in front of her, holding a heavy metal wrench in her hand. There was a large hematoma on Sage's ribcage, but it was quickly fading away into nothingness. Her torturer looked frustrated and at a complete loss of ideas like she never had before.

There's no kind of conditioning in the known universe that can prepare her from having her feet burnt off. Or her nails torn out.

Cigarettes stubbed out on her breasts.

A heated iron inserted into her vagina.

The pain. The humiliation.

The damage.

But she still held on, she knew there were people out there that needed her help, her time wasn't here yet.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey,"

Taping Sage's cheek the fake began to spray her with some sort of liquid which stank of a metallic yet sickly sweet smell. Laying a soaking wet sheet of fabric near her crotch fake Reyna took a few steps backwards as she sat back down on her metal chair before flicking her lighter open, putting the flame awfully close to the fuel-soaked fabric.

"Or gas and a blowtorch"

The tormentor began giggling childishly as she watched Sage flail around on her chair but to no avail as the leather straps held her in place excluding the nails piercing her thighs and palms letting her blood drop rhythmically down onto the floor.

"You got a cigarette I could borrow?"

Mysteriously a slim cylindrical cyan light appeared in between her fingers summoning a cigarette which she put in between her lips before lighting the end on fire.

"No, wait, wait, wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait! Wait, wait!"

Sneering snarkily the fake Reyna made the lit cigarette hover right above the fabric leading towards her body. The fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins was almost audible just like a heartbeat. Her heart itself felt like it was near imminent collapse, beating so fast that she could hardly keep count of it.

"Fuck you. Fuck you!"

Turning her head back towards the cigarette she watched in absolute terror as it fell down towards the fuel-soaked towel instantly setting it ablaze causing it to crawl its way towards Sage who braced for impact as it crawled up the fabric and lit her entire body on fire. Through the inhuman laughter of fake Reyna, Sage barely had time to register anything she said as she felt the fire eat away at her skin, blackening it whilst crawling deeper into her body searing muscle, sinew and soon enough vital organs. The dank room was filled to the brim with the torturer's immense amusement and Sage's ear-piercing agonizing scream. Flesh flaked off into dust as her layers were reduced to ash. The air around her was consumed by the voracious fire suffocating her whilst the intolerable pain rippled across her body but her torment came to an abrupt stop when fake Reyna tossed a bucket of water over her body.

Catching her breath from her laughter she watched as Sage's brunt muscle and skin were rapidly replaced one by one until her whole body was restored to its peak once again. Her mind whoever... not so much.

"F-Fuck y-y-you!"

Reaching for the blowtorch the tormentor casually walked towards Sage as she struggled with her bonds but to her surprise, Mirai watched as the blowtorch suddenly turned off.

"Hey. You reach a certain age, it happens to all of us. Well, some of us"

Growling she tossed the ineffective tool away before resorting to her final solution. Picking up the rusty metal box near the exit she threw it right next to Sage alerting her of the low screeching that could be heard coming from the box.

"Have you seen the Radianite storms that have been around Australia? No, probably not. Well Kingdom managed to gather a pretty parasitic sample from the portals it generated"

Kicking open the box, fake Reyna, using pliers, reaching inside before pulling out a worm with a black body leading to a red spot where a pair of large white pincers emerge from its front.

"Let's see those pretty eyes of yours cry tears of blood"

Cutting open a little incision near her stomach, fake Reyna, losing her patience, threw the parasite right into the hole letting it dig inside Sage's body. This creature was much more worse than the fire itself, the creature was digging furiously into her body consuming the skin, muscle and sinew before moving onto its main course: the organs. All Sage could do was bite her lower lip strongly as she released pained screeches sandwiched between whimpers.

"Convince her you are broken. She believes you are the one in the trap. Use that. Get out of the simulacra"

The real Reyna's voice bounced around in her head as time slowed all around her allowing her to watch the fake one reach down to grab another creature. Grunting boisterously and with vigour, the nails embedded within her thighs and palms ejected out of her skin and soon enough the leather straps fell off her causing her to collapse onto the ground whilst the fake Reyna watched with curiosity.

Bringing her heavy head back up she watched as an illusion of the real Reyna knelt in front of her. Her unfocused gaze soon glanced down at her chest before pushing all of her fingers on her right hand into the middle of her chest piercing right through the flesh allowing her to gradually pull her beating heart right through the hole whilst her hallucination kept on watching with sad eyes.

Raising her head to meet her shimmering and overflowing eyes with Reyna's.

"Take it. It's yours. From the moment I met you, it's yours"

"Who are you talking to?"

Putting her hand on the other side of Sage's still-beating heart the illusion of Reyna nodded as their foreheads touched each other's.

"Come on, my darling. Let's get you out"

Unexpectedly the hallucination squashed the heart itself. From the fake's view she simply watched with horrid fascination as Sage's body swiftly dissipated into various shimmering orangey hexagons.

In the eye-straining clinic, her real body was in, the two doctors surveying her vitals stood up all of a sudden as they watched Sage's heart stop all of a sudden causing the display to start displaying her dying vitals whilst emitting a screeching noise.

"She stopped her own heart"

"What?! No"

"Get her back!"

Fake Reyna hollered from the table a few steps away from the still unconscious Mirai when the physicians pried off the wires stuck to her head instantly pulling her back from the brink. Gasping for air the agent glanced all around her surveying her surroundings. All around her the walls were either covered with marble or replaced with ceiling-high stained glass concealing her view of the outside city. To her right were two perplexed doctors standing in front of a hip-high pedestal containing a rectangular highlighting her revitalized heart with also a table right next to it holding onto an emptied rucksack, a Chiappa Rhino and a miniaturized railgun. To her left was the fake sitting on the table swinging her legs whilst sneering at the Healer.

"So, how's it going, Reyna? Let's talk"

"Oh, we will. Back in virtual. Put her under"

Lying back down on her table the fake watched as the doctor attempted to inject Sage but hesitated as she opened her mouth again.

"That's a great idea if you want to die for real"

"I said put her under!"

The copy screamed as she leapt out of her table, just a few steps away from killing the incompetent scientists. There was a little bit of the Devil within her Angel eyes. The mind of a demon and the heart of an angel was a deadly combination. No one expects an angel to set the world on fire.

"My team will come to this base in any second and soon enough. Death will come to your little town, boys"

The scientists were on the verge of chuckling when the sirens rang back and forth within the facility disgruntling the fake whilst petrifying the doctors.

"I am someone you truly should have not fucked with. You dumb motherfuckers just embraced your own demise with open arms. You have any idea what they're gonna do to you?"

"Oh shit"

One of the doctors swore as an ear to ear smile crawled upon Sage's face.

"They're gonna hunt you down. All of you. They're gonna make you do what you did to me look like petting a dog. They're gonna make you eat your own dick and shit them out!"

"Do you see it? The fear multiplying in their brains like bacteria, reaching critical mass. You are reaching terminal velocity. Divide et impera"

"I'm letting her loose"

The scientists said in unison as they swiftly unlocked one of the handcuffs bounding Sage to the table causing the unarmed Reyna to back up into a door before leaving the soon to be massacred room. Seeing her left hand be freed Sage swiftly leapt out of the table before grabbing the railgun and firing one of its two rounds into her other handcuff and the other into one of the scientists behind her. Grabbing the revolver, she swerved to her right side accurately slamming holes through every single businessman and doctor behind her whilst also pointing her now empty railgun at the scientist near the door. Clicking the second trigger on her railgun the metal spike that pierced the last scientist's friend zoomed back into its original chamber killing the man as the ammo pierced through his body.

Emotionlessly and with a thousand-yard stare Sage hid her railgun into the backpack before slipping it onto her back before walking to every single corpse in the room and spraying their brain matter all across the floor with clean shots from her revolver. Grabbing a bone saw from the doctor's table she approached the clinic room's exit before kicking open the door and firing all of her rounds at the Kingdom associated businesspeople in front of her. Firing all of the rounds at them she stepped over their bleeding bodies as she searched for her final target: Fake Reyna. Dropping her empty revolver she attempted to pick up a stray pistol on the ground but that few forsaken seconds were enough for the fake to shoot a singular dart from her gun into Sage's back near instantaneously making her lose all feeling from the neck down.

"Don't resist it. It'll only make it worse"

Trying to talk Sage's own voice failed her as the fake slung her limp body over her shoulder dragging her down the corridors riddled with bullets and smeared with blood and bodies.

"Gotta admit it. You have been a fun toy to play with but you're getting boring. Maybe your teammates could be a replacement, hm? Maybe my clone?"

Hearing angered grunts coming from behind her the fake chuckled as she stood at the top of a staircase knowing that their transport was just beneath them but before she could take her first step down the light all around her started flickering whilst also dimming

The fake barely had time to react as rhythmic but slow footsteps echoed up the staircase instilling an increasing fear within the torturer's legs as the scent of untimely demise wafted up the steps. Shortly the real Mexican Valorant agent crept up to the fake's view glaring at her as her eyes grew brighter.

"This is a test."

Grabbing the bottom of her ruined suit jacket Reyna's skin began to transmogrify into some sort of translucent material like ink floating in the water. Casually and unconcerned by the armed fake she moved behind a pillar as she took off her jacket.

"I've accepted this test to stand victorious against my past. A person grows once they are able to defeat their weaker self."

As the jacket fell off her bullet-riddled body her voice began to change as well morphing into a deeper and more diabolical.

"Wouldn't you agree, o clone of mine?"

Shoving Sage onto the ground the fake allowed her to watch as she pulled her pistol from behind her back and shot directly at Reyna's face but surprisingly her head only recoiled before looking back at the fake with all the venom in her eyes letting her see the bullet holes on her face stitch itself back together before ejecting the bullets themselves.

Snarling the real walked towards the fake but was halted by the torturer who ran into her causing her to crash against a nearby wall heavily denting its back before the fake used her hands to choke Reyna on the spot whilst pushing her forward into the wall but unexpectedly she watched as she stopped on the spot before standing back up again and grabbing hold of the fake's wrists slowly prying them away from her neck causing her wrists to start heavily creaking all with a surprised face that mocked the torturer. Headbutting the Kingdom agent causing another clank to echo through the corridor she landed a few punches at her neck before side-stepping avoiding a knifehand strike on the battered wall splitting it into two parts. Smiling Reyna brushed her hands before charging directly at her clone grabbing hold of her shoulders before smashing her into the wall behind her but this time she managed to counteract her move swiftly as she grabbed a hold of her collar before tossing Reyna onto the wall itself.

Opening her arms as she saw the fake charge at her Reyna braced for impact as the two of them ran through the wall dropping them in the middle of the waiting room of the hospital curiously still occupied with people. Recovering significantly quicker than the fake, Reyna raced towards a stray oxygen tank using one end to smash it into the fake's face staggering her even further before backing up. Flipping it in the air she turned around as the fake stood up just in time to see Reyna chop off one end of the tank with one hand sending the tube flying around the waiting room but with one quick swat with her hand, she directed it towards Reyna who sidestepped causing the tube to burst through two walls before being attracted to the nearest MRI machine.

Seeing Reyna distracted Milenna charged at her again knocking down the wall behind her but also the vending machine. Seeing her prepare her hand for a punch Reyna rolled away as she launched her hand into the vending machine. Speedily Reyna grabbed her bra hook and pants before throwing her upwards smashing through the roof before coming back down. Grabbing her by the shoulders again Reyna ran through several walls before tossing the fake through a window and towards the inactive MRI machine. Stepping through the broken window she walked closer to the fake who was crawling sluggishly on the ground.

Grabbing her back Reyna threw her clone directly onto the wall before going behind her back, putting her arms around her shoulder and neck forcing the Kingdom agent into a chokehold.

"If you are like me, you're not going to quit. Let’s change that shall we?"

Reaching for her leg knife holster with her left hand Reyna placed the blade a hair away from the fake's face before proceeding to cut into her skin letting her pained screech echo through the corridor whilst the real version released maniacal giggles.

Pushing her back down onto the floor Reyna left her copy a parting gift: a knife straight through her shoulder as she dashed towards Sage flipping her onto her back before tossing her onto her own shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey. I've got you. I've got you. I'm taking you out of here, it's over"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Ruelle - Monsters and Take It All  
> K/DA - VILLAIN  
> Hiroaki Tommy Tominaga - Sono Chi No Sadame  
> Dead Posey - Fire Burnin'


	10. Æ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A better-written chapter for you all. After all the violence and torture I thought it would be nice for some... fluff.

The group walked back into the Kingdom hotel lobby they cleared earlier, exhaustion written clearly all over their faces. Now that the goal of their mission - rescuing Sage - was achieved, the incredible tension washed off, and the adrenaline pulsing through their veins was slowly removed from their systems. Apart from maybe Reyna, who was the best rested of the lot, they all were close to falling asleep. 

Luckily the lobby remained abandoned by Kingdom. They were the only ones inside the warm lounge, which was probably not the worst coincidence. Reyna carried a silenced rifle around, Viper forgot her winter clothing on the streets when she heard Reyna yelling for assistance, and Sage was using a stray metal rod as support for walking while Killjoy, who lended her clothes to Viper, was rubbing her arms with her hands trying to warm herself up. They looked like they returned home from war even thought they didn't even go to one. The mission was never carried out the way it had been planned. Not that this was a bad thing. Not at all. They probably saved themselves a lot of pain and damage. 

Sage, who was leading the group, stopped in the middle of the lounge.

"Alright, everyone. We wait for Skye. She should be here shortly. Mission debriefing in five minutes"

She announced tiredly. No one wanted to do a debriefing now, Sage included, but it was just the way the rules wanted it, and she wouldn't get sloppy now. 

"Yes, Ma'am"

Viper spat out sarcastically, walking past Sage, followed by Killjoy, who nodded at her.

That left Sage and Reyna alone in the lobby. And for the first time since the capture, they had a moment to themselves. Sage beamed at her girlfriend bright as day as she walked the few steps separating them over to her. Reaching out with both her hands, she took Reyna's in hers, gently stroking over the back of Reyna's cold hands with her thumbs before her fingers moved up to her wrist, caressing the pulse point there with delicate touches.

Sage's hot, slender fingers alone sent an electric shiver of excitement through the Vampire, and she couldn't help but stare at Sage with probably the goofiest smile she was capable of. It felt so good being here. It didn't even matter where here was as long as Sage was with her. She felt like the world around them didn't exist anymore. There was only that lively eyes peering up to her, a smile as bright as the sunlight. And Reyna felt the warmth spread through her body once again. 

"Thank you, 宝宝"

Sage suddenly said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"Thank you for saving me and..."

She smiled the dwelling tears in her eyes away.

"Thank you for coming back to me"

Sage's heart was on fire. She was so happy right now. She was safe. A little banged up, yes, but mostly fine and, not only that, she also got the real Reyna back. Sage wanted to cry out in joy, and it cost her all her strength to not eat Reyna alive right where they were standing.

"Anything for you, cariño"

Reyna hummed, enjoying even the simplest of touches from Sage. She leaned in a bit closer, completely forgetting they were standing in the middle of the hotel lobby and fully intent on kissing Mirai. 

But then the front door of the hotel opened and the two basically jumped a step away from each other, almost like some teenagers caught doing something forbidden. Sage noted this down on her list of things she would have to talk about with Reyna.

"Hey, mate,"

Skye called out, walking into the hotel.

"I brought some of the intel you asked for back. What did I-"

She stopped, looked at Sage.

"You are new... are you?"

"No, I'm not. You might have heard me being kidnapped? Sage? Mirai?"

"Oh it's you! Nice to meet you, I'm Skye, I'm a new agent"

Shaking her hand Sage and Skye took a few steps back before observing each other.

"I'm Mirai Kimur but call me Sage. Listen, go to the conference room. We'll start the debriefing then"

**An Annoying Debriefing Later**

Not really knowing what she should do after she left the conference early, Reyna headed for the abandoned, yet still brightly lit, lobby and allowed herself to sink into one of the many comfortable leather armchairs. The cold leather hugged her figure nicely while she crossed one leg over the other. She stared blankly into the comfortable lounge, letting her eyes roam through the room. From where she was sitting, she had all the entrances and exits to the lobby covered, so she would notice immediately when someone entered the hotel.

For the first time in a while, Reyna allowed herself to really relax; to let the events of the last hours and days sink into her head and process them.

She was here.

She made it. She successfully took down a Kingdom base and made it to what had to be safety. It was all thanks to Mirai Kimur that she now was where she was. Not only geographically.

Mirai Kimur, the only person on this planet who made her feel and made her frozen heart thaw, and her icy soul warm up. She was the one who wormed her way into Reyna's heart so persistently that even her own morals couldn't remove her anymore. It was only Mirai Kimur who enabled Reyna to think clearly again; to feel something else other than the pleasure of the bed and the kill. Only Mirai brought love and warmth with her where only darkness and despair used to be. With Sage around, Reyna felt like she was finally whole again

She didn't want to miss that feeling for anything in the world.

Now, it was only a matter of seeing if the members of Valorant allow this intimacy.

Reyna was harshly ripped out of her musings when someone suddenly placed a bowl of soup on the small coffee table in front of her chair.

Her head shot up and she met the old face of an easily hundred-year-old woman who smiled a warm, motherly smile at her. It had been a while since someone snuck up on her like this.

"You look like you could use a warm soup, my child"

She said in standard Tibetan, carefully letting her old body sink into the armchair next to Reyna. The elderly woman made an exhausted sound, folding her arms over her stomach. She looked contempt with the world like it was. Her age gave her an aura of great wisdom, and the grandmother seemed like nothing could shock her anymore.

Reyna stared at the soup for a moment, contemplating hissing at the old woman for sneaking up on her, but deciding against it. Instead, she reached for the soup and tasted a spoonful. It was hot and rather spicy, but it warmed her up from the inside.

"Thank you"

Reyna replied, also in Tibetan. Her Tibetan wasn't the best in the world, but she could manage.

"Did you run this hotel inside a Kingdom tower?"

"That I do"

The grandmother replied with a warm laugh.

"You know, it's funny how you renegades all pick this chair"

She stated, looking into the distance like it was nothing at all.

Reyna felt her hand freeze around the silver spoon, staring at the old woman in absolute shock. A part of her was already contemplating how she'd kill her should she turn out to be one of Kingdom's double agents. With a flick of her thumb, the spoon turned around in her hand from an eating position into an attack position. Yes, Reyna was perfectly capable of turning an innocent spoon into a deadly instrument of destruction. 

"Relax, my child"

The ancient hotelier chuckled.

"You are hardly the first soldiers who damaged and escaped the Kingdom base over there. They all end up here. And they all end up in this chair sooner or later. I don't want to know what they did to automatically make you pick the safest point for an escape even in a peaceful hotel"

"You will make it out of here just fine. I know you will"

"What makes you say that?"

Reyna wanted to know, turning the spoon in her hand back into eating position and proceeding to fill her empty stomach with the meal.

"Well, you have a good motivation for starters. That, and you are the first who damaged their base to get away. I like your odds"

Reyna snorted.

"What would you know about my motivations?"

The grandmother laughed happily, and Reyna didn't like it one bit how she apparently knew a lot more than she should have in the first place. Were all older people like this? So mysteriously knowledgeable?

"Oh, I think I have you figured out, my child"

She said, her laughter slowly fading away into a bright smile.

"You did this all for that lovely Chinese girl, didn't you? I have to admit, she is a solid choice. A very solid choice. Determined, friendly, and she cares about her friends. No. Nothing wrong with risking something for her"

Reyna couldn't help but stare blankly at her again. How the hell did she figure that out?

"Now, now, my child. Don't give me that look. I know what I have seen. How you looked at each other, even if it was only for a moment, and how she held your hands over there. It was hard to miss"

"We were alone..."

Reyna breathed.

"It is my hotel. I've lived here for more than sixty years. I guess I can move around without anyone noticing"

Reyna couldn't come up with a single word... which seemed fitting as a reply. No one 

"You are trying to keep it secret, aren't you?"

The grandmother stated more than she asked.

"You are afraid that no one would accept it. That they'd blame her for being with you, right?"

She asked sadly, looking at the woman next to her. She was beautiful, even with her purple eyes and razor-sharp canines. Maybe even drop dead gorgeous.

"Yes"

Reyna nodded and looked away. It was heartbreaking to watch.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. Let me tell you that this will change. There will be a time where your friends will understand and when they will accept it. Maybe not now. Maybe not tomorrow. But there will be a time"

The old woman smiled an encouraging smile at Reyna.

"For what it's worth, I think you made the right choice. I hope you will find happiness, my child. I don't know what Kingdom did to you, but whatever it was, I am sure you deserve to be happy more than anyone now"

The Grandmother nodded at Reyna while she got up from her chair.

"And now I will leave you to it. Just know that as long as you are here, you are in no trouble. Relax a bit"

"Thank you"

Reyna replied automatically, her brain still processing what it got fed just now.

"You are very welcome"

Half an hour later, Sage came out of the conference room close to collapsing on the spot. They went through all the events of today one more time, writing a preliminary report and informing headquarters about the successful mission.

"I'll go and check on our Hispanic"

Sage announced.

"It's ok, I can-"

"Nononooo, Skye"

Sage stopped Skye from taking that responsibility from her.

"You will take this key,"

She handed her an old fashioned metal key with a keyring and a wooden fob and number on it.

"And go to the room it unlocks. You get inside. You strip out of those clothes. You grab a quick shower. And then you crawl into bed where you sleep until I wake you up tomorrow. Got that?"

Sage asked, cocking her head to the side in a cute way.Skye rolled her eyes. She knew she wouldn't stand a chance against Sage. Not only because she wouldn't stand down, but also because the rescued hostage was right. She really needed sleep. And a shower. Taking the key from Sage, Skye nodded tiredly.

"Hooroo and see you next morning"

She murmured under her breath, turning around and slinking off.

Sage turned around to go and find Reyna which was more difficult that she imagined.

But eventually, she found her outside the hotel in the freezing cold. She was on the side which allowed for a breataking view of the mountains. Or it would have been breathtaking had it not been in the middle of the night and absolutely pitch-black. In the distance, however, one could still see the fires of the base burning.

Reyna leaned against the wall of the hotel, taking a deep drag from a cigarette. The glow of the burning tobacco briefly lit up the stern features of her face and there was a faint, silent crackle from the embers. 

"You smoke?"

Sage asked as she walked up to Reyna. She didn't even bother leaning to the wall next to her and instead went straight for the hug, falling into her arms. 

"Not regularly"

Reyna replied with a shrug, exhaling the smoke in the process. She did it more as an excuse to get outside and be alone for a minute or two than for the nicotine.

"You mind?"

"No"

Sage said hastily, quickly bringing her lips to Reyna's. She waited long enough for this, And soon enough, their innocent kiss grew more and more desperate, sloppy and definitely not graceful. It was filled with a primal need; an insatiable desire for the other as their lips violently crashed together and their tongues danced around each other in pursuit of dominance until thy both broke away for some much-needed air. 

Reyna had long since dripped her cigarette into the snow.

"Eww"

Sage giggled.

"You taste like a chimney"

"And why would you know how that tastes?"

Reyna replied with a chuckle.

"Oh, wouldn't you want to know?"

Mirai laughed, letting her head rest against Reyna's cool chest, her arms carefully draped around her lover's waist while she was playing with the hem of the lower edge of Reyna's white shirt. Reyna hummed blissfully as she pressed Sage a little closer to her.

"Are you alright?"

Sage asked, one of her hands gliding up from Reyna's back to softly caress the bandage around Reyna's neck.

"Killjoy told me she watched you get your body riddle with bullets. Did it hurt?"

Reyna shook her head.

"No. My body has grown too accustomed to my constant state of pain. I hardly felt anything"

Reyna said, only telling a half truth.

"I'm fine now"

She sighed as she felt Sage's hand glide into her hair, carefully sliding her fingers through it. Sage liked her dark hair with a hint of purple, Reyna knew. She said it was like liquid silk. If getting her body shot again and again without any anesthetic was the price she needed to pay to get to feel Sage running her fingers through her hair more often, it was a price worth paying.

"I missed you, 宝宝 "

Sage whispered after some moment of stroking through her hair and caressing her back.

"I missed you so much it hurt. It was all so much since the mission. But I want you to know that I am sorry for getting sloppy. I feel like I abandoned you there and I promised I wouldn't leave you again. But I did, didn't I? I'm sorry, 宝宝"

"It's fine, cariño"

Reyna replied softly.

"It wasn't your fault. It never was"

She said, her voice growing slightly remoresful. There was a long moment of silence, which Reyna dragged her fingertips up Mirai's arms. While Reyna was distracted by the person in front ofher, she notice that Mirai fell into total silence. Her breath had gotten slow and steady, and she could feel the rhytmiuc gush of warm air against her skin.

"Cariño?"

Reyna whispered softly, letting a hand run through Sage's thick but ruly hair which Reyna liked to touch so much. The charcoal black mane was more rigid than her own, stiffer and fuller. It made Reyna want to pull it.. which she had done a couple of times in the space of a few days and had been rewarded with a satisfied moan. She didn't pull on it now. She just let her fingers vanish in between Sage's dense hair, softly massaging the warm skin underneath.

"I love you, 宝宝"

Sage muttered under her breath, clearly already fast asleep.

It was the most adorable thing that ever happened, and it brought the brightest smile on Reyna's lips as these words sunk into her soul. It was like a beautiful, rare flower just blossomed in her heart.

This was not how Reyna imagined this moment. Yet it was even sweeter now that it was finally here.

"I love you too"

She whispered softly, gently picking Mirai up in her arms, so the sleeping beauty wouldn't wake up, and carrying her inside. She felt the Chinese snuggling against her bandaged neck, murmuring something inaudible before she showered the bandage in sleepy kisses all while she was still knocked out.

The lobby was luckily still completely deserted, save for the grandmother who was standing at the reception with a smile that said "What did I say?" way too loud for Reyna's liking.

Without speaking a word, the old woman gave Reyna a key to a room and another endearing smile. Reyna nodded as she walked off to carry Sage to her room.

To their room for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> James Arthur - Say You Won't Let Go  
> Michael Bublé, Shania Twain - White Christmas  
> Meghan Trainor, John Legend - Like I'm Gonna Lose You  
> Katy Perry - Birthday


	11. Go Down Rockin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lewdish?

The corridor was dark and damp. Unpleasant altogether. Not a place anyone would consider walking down if it could be helped. Sage had no idea how she ended up here. It was cold and drafty. She was scared. But scared of what? She didn't know. All she knew was that she needed to run. Hurry. Run. Get away from something. Or get somewhere. Sage didn't know what it was. She just knew that time was running short.

Her ragged breaths were echoing from the cold metal walls of the dark corridor together with the sound of her hurried steps. Sage stumbled forward, looking back over her shoulder like she wanted to check if someone was after her.

But no one was there.

She was alone.

Yet she didn't feel like she was.

How on earth did she end up here? Where was she? What was this place?

Her lungs were aching from breathing so hectically, but Sage couldn't allow herself to stop and consider anything fore even a small moment. She knew that she needed to get there.

There?

Where?

Mirai had no idea. She didn't know. But time was running short. It was. It had to. There was not enough of it. She needed to hurry. Hurry. Faster. Now. Move.

Mirai ran towards a crossroad, the confining corridors still dark and narrow. She got the feeling that the ground underneath her was slightly moving like she was on a ship of some sorts. Was she? If so, how got she here? Mirai didn't have time for answers. She took the corridor to her left and burst through a door.

She knew it was the correct door. The door she had been searching for without knowing it. It was an ordinary metal door, like any other, but Sage still knew it was the one she wanted right now.

Behind the door, however, was nothing but darkness.

Complete darkness.

Breathing hectically, Mirai felt her panic rise and rise. This had to be the right room! It was. She knew. But why was there no one here? She spun around to leave the room again, but the door was gone.

Mirai froze in place.

She was standing in the dark.

Alone. 

A painfully long second ticked past, like the sand in the hourglass has turned to sticky goo.

"Help me"

A familiar voice called out faintly for her from the darkness. It sounded muffled as if it were spoken underwater. Mirai didn't dare to turn around for a moment, fearing what she'd see. Her limbs were hurting, and she felt her heart race from all the adrenaline coursing through her veins like poison.

What was this place?

It didn't matter. She turned around anyway. Where before only black nothingness had been, a dim light was now illuminating a clear pillar of water.

It shouldn't have been standing on its own, but somehow it did. The body of water was just standing there, in the nothingness, the surface clear like ice. 

Sage gazed into the transparent liquid for a moment, her heart beating faster and more frantic with every moment passing. Help. She'd love to help. Help whom? Help how?

"Help me. Please help me"

The voice called again. Sova's voice. Inside the water. Muffled. Drowning. Pleading. Immediately, Mirai stepped closer to the water, in panic trying to see where her friend was.

"Sova?"

She cried.

"Where are you?"

Sage yelled into the water, She couldn't see anything inside the dimly lit water. There were mere reflections. A shimmer. A glint. A distorted image of her ashen face. It didn't help.

For a moment longer, Mirai peered int the water with keen eyes, her soul filling with despair.

And then there was a blonde mane. A flash of gold. Floating in the water was the form of Sova, his hair swaying in the water together with his combat gear. He was weightless. The deep ocean blue eye and chocolate brown eye opened wide as he drifted toward Sage. Slowly, like he had all the time in the world.

But he was drowning.

"Help me!"

Sova suddenly yelled, his body moving in a frantic manner, bubbles of air rising out of her mouth to the invisible surface.

Without any hesitation, Sage lunged out to her friend, her arms reaching deeply inside the ice-cold water, desperately trying to get a hold of Sova. But their hands kept missing each other.

The look of horror and fear on Sova's face grew dier and wider while Mirai's attempts to save her friend were only getting more desperate. Hurried. Rushed. Panicked. She had to get her out of there. She needed to help. She was his best friend.

Finally, she caught Sova at his wrist and tried to pull him out of the water.

But her best friend was heavy.

Too heavy.

And he was slowly into the ice-cold grave, together with Sage, pulling her down into the depth of the water.

Her face touched the horribly cold surface, and Mirai managed to pull back for what was but a moment to inhale deeply. 

She refused to let go of her best friend, who was sinking into the water, eve if if meant she would be dragged into the same depths. She wouldn't let go. She didn't allow herself.

"Cariño?"

NO! Sage's heart stopped at the thought that Reyna could be in danger, too. Not her. Please not.

Mirai tried to turn around and see who called her. SHe knew who it was. Rationally, she knew, but she also didn't know. The entire scene was extremely hazy. So confusing. Nothing added up. Mirai glanced over her shoulder to see the person calling for her.

Please don't be in trouble. Please be fine. Please don't be drowning.

And Mirai felt the hand she was holding on to so tightly slip put of her tight grasp.

She paddled back around, now fully emerged in water, trying to spin her body as fast as possible. But Sova was gone, too. He was nowhere to be seen, and nowhere to be heard. Sova was no more

Sage screamed under the tides, violent bubbles gurgling out of her throat. She desperately grabbed into the water in front and around her, trying to find Sova again until the frantic Chinese had lost all orientation. 

Sova wasn't there anymore.

No matter how much Mirai tried to find him again, it didn't help. Yet Mirai wouldn't give up. Her breath was running short. Her lungs were burning. Her throat was tightening, begging her to gasp for the nonexistent air. But she didn't give up. She desperately attempted to grab the person she tried to save.

Suddenly, there was something solid in her hands. Immediately, Mirai pulled harshly on whatever it was. As hard as she could. 

She collided with something. It felt like a human.

And suddenly, all the water was gone. She crashed to the hard ground in complete darkness, coughing violently and soaking wet, with nothing but a single light shining from nowhere on her.

Sage held a boy in her arms.

A cold, unmoving, limp body.

Coughing violently, Sage dared to open her eyes and look at who she was holding.

The skin was tanned. The purple eyes were open, but they were completely lifeless. Dull, without any spark. Her mouth was agape, water running out of it. She didn't move. Her heart didn't beat/

She was dead.

"REYNA!"

Sage yelled at the top of her lungs. Someone just stabbed her through her heart and ripped her sou; right out of her. She shattered into a thousand pieces. 

Sage shot up in her bed, ripping the sheets clinging to her sweat-soaking body up with her. She needed a moment to catch her breath and come to realize that she only had a nightmare.

It wasn't real. 

The next moment, Mirai noticed that she was in a bed inside a room she had never seen before and that she had absolutely no idea how she ended up here. The last thing she remembered was how she closed her eyes on Reyna's shoulder the day before. 

A soft light on the nightstand was turned on before two cool hands gently wrapped around her.

"Cariño?"

Reyna's silent voice asked carefully. 

Her sweet scent filled Sage's nose as she eagerly sucked it into her lungs. It calmed her down faster than anything else could have done in that moment. She turned her head around and peered into Reyna's bright purple eyes. The question of how Sage had need up in the bed suddenly became superfluous.

"I'm alright"

Sage said, shaking her head.

"It was just a bad dream. I'm alright"

She repeated. Reyna simply looked at her for a moment, making sure that her lover was, indeed, fine. Heavens, she know Sage would exactly be the person to say she was fine when she really was anything but. Reyna gave Sage's lower arms a slight but reassuring squeeze. Like she meant to tell Mirai that she was there for her.

"I'll take a shower"

Sage suddenly announced, untangling her from Reyna's embrace before she climbed out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. It was very early in the morning, and the sun was not yet up, but the first rays of fragile light were beginning to shimmer in dark hues of orange on the horizon, bringing a warm blotch of colour into the cold whites and blues lingering over the ice-cold Himilayas.

Reyna was left behind in bed, the blanket loosely covering the lap of her otherwise naked body. She blinked once, feeling a little bit abandoned, before she also got out of bed and decisively followed Sage into the bathroom.

Opening the door silently, Reyna saw Mirai standing in front of the small bathroom mirror, her hands supporting her weight on the old ceramic sink as she stared her reflection in the eyes.

Her lips were moving, like she was silently talking to herself, but Reyna couldn't understand the words Sage was uttering. The Chinese squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and slouched her head, inhaling deeply.

Something was wrong with her lover; Reyna could see it. Feel it.

The Vampire carefully placed a hand on the top of Sage's back, right below her neck. She felt the slight shiver which was making Sage tremble. It wasn't caused by her touch. Mirai was shaking.

Her beautiful raven eyes shot open and fixed themselves to Reyna's reflection next to hers.

"What's bothering you, cariño?"

Reyna asked, gently turning Mirai away from the mirror and toward her so she could look her in the eyes directly. Reyna's hands fell to Sage's waist as she pulled her closer.

"It's nothing"

Sage said, shaking her head.

Reyna immediately gave the Chinese a warning squeeze. 

"Don't you dare lie to me"

She whispered in a hiss.

"I'm neither blind nor stupid. What's bothering you, Mirai? Was it the dream?"

Mirai hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to discuss it. But she had already opened her mouth and said something before she could think anything else. 

"No... Yes... In a way"

Sage sighed, letting her head sink to Reyna's shoulder. 

"Talk to me, Mirai"

Reyna whispered. Mirai inhaled sharply, before she just blurted out what was building up inside of her.

"I feel so useless! So weak. After I got abducted and had to leave you, I was completely lost! I wanted to do something so badly, but I couldn't. And I didn't. I didn't do anything. What if that happens again? I don't want anything that happened to me to happen to you..."

Sage tried to explain what she thought as well as she could, but the constricting feeling around her heart was hardly expressible.

"I don't want to lose you"

She added in nothing but a barely audible whisper, burying her face in the crook of Reyna's cool neck, slowly inhaling the scent that was, without any doubt, her Mexican lover.

The silence between Reyna and Sage in the following moment was not an uncomfortable one, but a heavy one nevertheless. Reyna stared blankly ahead. She needed a second or two before she understood the depth of Sage's problem. That she thought that she had somehow failed Reyna and her team.

But this time Sage couldn't do much. And Reyna understood that it made the Chinese feel worthless no matter how wrong that may have been.

"Oh, cariño,"

She smiled, hugging the Chinese closer to her.

"You won't ever lose me. No matter what I will always find a way back to you. You did so much for me already and you don't know it. And I am sure for our team as well. Don't ever think you are useless or weak"

Reyna placed a kiss on Sage's forehead.

"You are probably the strongest person I know,"

She said sincerely.

"You are the only person who gladly accepted me and made me feel wanted. Welcome. You are the only person I will ever want to come back to. You are the only one I will come back to. I promise you won't ever lose me" 

She said, pushing Mirai a little bit off of her and looking deeply into her raven eyes. Tears were on the verge of flowing over, and Reyna gently wiped them away with her index finger.

"Because I love you"

Reyna said seriously, her eyes not leaving Mirai's.

"And don't ever think otherwise. Tarda una hora en conocerte y solo un dia en enamorarme. Pero me llevará toda una vida poder olvidarte.

Reyna leaned down and pressed a short innocent kiss on Sage's lips.

Mirai stared at Reyna for a brief moment before her lips twitched slightly. It spread into the wildest, goofiest grin Sage had ever worn before as she beamed at Reyna, bright as the daylight sun. She rose to her tiptoes and gave her girlfriend another sweet and tender kiss on her lips.

"I love you, too"

Mirai hummed, their foreheads still touching.

"I can't believe you said it first. I never thought you'd say that... like... ever"

Reyna giggled softly, pulling back from Sage, and walked over to the combined bathtub and shower. SHe turned the faucet for the tub on while Mirai eyued her carefully as Reyna shrugged.

"Actually, you said it first"

She stated a little cockily.

"I haven't!"

Sage insisted.

"You have. Yesterday"

Reyna smirked her trademark, one-sided smirk of doom while she sat down on the edge of the bathtub, crossing one leg over the other. She was still naked, after all, and this position gave her a very sexy posture.

"But you were already asleep. It was terribly cute, to be honest"

She said, making Mirai blush fiercely. Not only because of how drop-dead gorgeous her lover looked, but mostly because of what she said. 

"That's not fair"

Sage complained.

"Mhh. I'm not one for fair play, cariño. You know that by now"

Reyna smiled.

"And while we are on the topic of unfair play"

She looked down on her naked bronzed body and then over to Sage's.

"You should get out of those clothes"

"Huh?"

"I am transforming your shower into a bath... with special service"

Reyna purred seductively while she dipped a finger into the hot water behind her to check the temperature. SHe looked incredibly sexy doing even such a simple thing. How her athletic body moved, the lean muscles underneath her tanned skin showing each however slight change of movement. Her eyes never left Mirai.

"You are still clothed, cariño. Why are you still clothed? Strip!"

"Rey-"

"Strip. Now"

Sage laughed and pulled on her shirt.

"Yes, Ma'am"

She joked, getting out of her clothes while Reyna watched.

"You like what you see?"

Sage asked as she peeled her knickers off her slender form.

"Si"

Reyna hummed in agreement, waiting for Mirai to toss her underwear to the side before she guided the bubbly Chinese into the bathtub, claiming the place right behind her. The water was just the perfect temperature for a relaxing soak; not too hot, but definitely not too cold either. It was actually just a little too warm for Reyna's preference, but she didn't care. She wanted Sage to be comfortable.

Her hands started gliding up to the Chinese's back, and then rested on her shoulders for a moment before she began to softly knead the tight muscles on that spot. Sage let a sigh of content escape her lips. 

"Relax; you deserve it"

Reyna said, happy when Sage eased back into her embrace, leaning against her body. Mirai's head was resting on Reyna's shoulder as the Vampire gave her girlfriend a massage while softly nibbling on her ear.

"Mhh. Why are you so good at this?"

Mirai wanted to know, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensation of Reyna's cool hands working to help her tense muscles relax.

Reyna actually stopped for a moment after this question.

"I have no idea. I just do it. And you seem to like it"

"Mhm... Don't stop. Please"

Mirai sighed, her body completely relaxing against Reyna. She felt like she was melting away inside the warm water. Reyna's cool hands were carefully tending to her muscles, making her close her eyes and enjoy the attention.

Reyna couldn't help but smile when she noticed that Sage was close to falling asleep again. The girl was too cute at times.

But it was understandable that she was exhausted. Sage had been awake for too long to not be fatigue now. What little sleep she had gotten tonight was barely enough. And apparently, it was also barely relaxing.

Soon enough she and Mirai made it back to the bed. Sage had finally relaxed after a wonderful massage and some mind-blowing extra service before she and Reyna got out of the tub, drying each other off prior to heading back to bed. They didn't bother with clothing as they had cuddled in each other's arms and Sage might have dozed off for another hour or so, sleeping against Reyna's shoulder, her unruly black hair slightly tickling Reyna's neck. 

She didn't mind. Mirai's body was warm and comfortable against hers. She could feel the younger girl's heart beat and her soft breath against her skin. Reyna didn't find sleep again. She just enjoyed Mirai's warmth against her own.

This would be the future now, wouldn't it? Reyna hoped it would. Never in her life had she felt such peace in her heart. The thought of ever missing it again seemed unbearable now. 

A couple of minutes ago Sage had woken up again and found herself magically drawn to the pulse point on her lover's neck. She started placing careful kisses up toward the jawline, getting a happy hum as a reply from Reyna. 

Mirai shuffled under the blankets, moving to sit on top of Reyna and leaned down to hiss her on the lips. It started out rather innocently, but quickly grew into a series of hasty, needy, and rather slippy exchanges. She yanked Reyna up from the bed, wrapping her arms around her back and burying her hands in Reyna's loose hair. She had let it down after the bath. 

The two lovers were so caught up in the moment, so busy with themselves, that neither one of them heard or notice the knock on the door.

Which was strange, since Reyna had excellent senses in every way, including hearing. But she didn't hear anything. Her ears were ringing from the rush of excitement she felt each time she touched Mirai. Her insides were boiling, and it felt simply incredible. She wanted more. Again. It was like an insatiable hunger, a primal desire, and something she had to do without any choice. Her hands grabbed Mirai's firm butt cheeks and gave them a tight squeeze, sending Sage a bit upward, moaning into Reyna's mouth

What they did hear, however, was Killjoy's voice. 

"What the hell are you doing?!"

She shrieked.

Mirai almost jumped into the ceiling, she was so startled. But, since that was not really possible, she instead jumped off Reyna, simultaneously pulling at the covers, trying to get Reyna beneath them and cover her up. Mirai was much more concerned with her lover's decency than her own, it seemed. It wasn't like Killjoy hadn't seen her naked before. 

"Killjoy! W-What are you doing here?"

Sage stammered, looking at an infuriated Killjoy, who was standing no more than two steps in front of the bed, her hands pressed to her hips.

"I swear this isn't what it looks like!"

Mirai tried. She had no idea why she felt the urge to say that, but she could feel some major accusation from Killjoy rolling her way already.

Reyna next to her just snorted, slightly bemused. She was running on autopilot, not really knowing what to do. So, her cocky side naturally took over again.

"I bet it looked like sex, cariño. Which we almost had. Again"

"Again?"

Killjoy asked in a dangerously low tone.

"Again?!"

She repeated, staring Mirai down.

"Verdammt, Mirai, you are more dick-driven than a horny teen boy and you don't even have a dick!"

"宝贝, I really care about her. She means the world to me! Would you calm down, please?"

Mirai tried, but Killjoy didn't listen completely but soon enough the German woman stopped herself at the slight smile which spread over Reyna's face and how Mirai looked away, covered in scarlet. Then, Reyna reached out for Sage's hand and intertwined their fingers gently. It was a subconscious move, and one that happened on its own. Their hands melted together.

And then it hit Killjoy like a speeding train. Right in the face,

There was an image rapidly forcing its way into Killjoy's mind. An image she refused to acknowledge. 

"Nein"

She breathed.

"Nein. I don't believe that. That's impossible!"

She shook her head adamantly.

"Dear, this has been going on for a bit of time now"

Reyna smiled.

"She wasn't too easy to catch but neither was I. The last person who hit on me out of the blue got his neck broken by yours truly"

Reyna said with a shrug.

"Fuck! I lost the bet with Viper and Sova. Fuck, my money is gone"

Curiosity was riddled all over Reyna and Sage's face as they cocked their head at the German engineer.

"Sova and Viper made a bet with me about you guys getting together. I thought it wouldn't happen whilst they were rather confident with their claim."

Instantly realizing the ploy Sage cupped her mouth with her hand whilst Reyna simply chuckled deeply.

"Darling, you got reeled into a faulty deal. Sova and Viper already know about this"

"Scheiße! I am so retarded" 

Slamming her fist against a nearby wall Killjoy gravitated back towards the door she left ajar before turning back to the couple. 

"The old woman here has prepared a breakfast, I'll sneak something up for the two of you, should you want to eat something else other than each other"

Killjoy smiled, turning to the door.

"I won't tell anyone. So, let me know if you need something"

Putting her hands behind her back Killjoy released a big sigh coupled with a light chuckle.

"Sorry"

Killjoy replied before she slipped through the door. There was a moment of silence before Mirai spoke up again.

"What do you say we wait until we get our breakfast. I don't want to give Killjoy another heart attack. Think you can hold back for a few minutes?"

"I make no such promises"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Michael Bublé - Everything  
> Westlife - I Lay My Love on You - Remix  
> Boyzone - Picture Of You  
> Backstreet Boys - Everybody (Backstreet's Back)  
> Jon Bellion - Overwhelming


	12. Mon Cœur Avait Raison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sliver of NSFW

Something wasn't quite right. There was something important missing. Reyna could tell that this was not the way she had fallen asleep. For instance, there were now cheeky rays of sunlight shining through the open window, tickling at her nose. She didn't have to open her eyes to know that; the annoying warmth on her face was more than enough proof. 

Speaking of annoying warmth, there was another form of it which Reyna had gotten used to during the night... but now even that was gone. It felt like a part of her was missing, like someone had taken away the better half of her. The Vampire had to admit that she had never slept so soundly. Sage had held her tightly throughout the remainder of the dark morning.

Reyna was well aware of how ridiculous that sounded, but somehow, when she was lying in Mirai's arms, her warmth seeping into the cold body and her breath gentle against her neck, Reyna felt incredibly safe. In that moment she just knew that no harm would come to her as long as she could stay buried in Mirai's embrace, her face nestled in the crook of Sage's neck.

And now that embrace was gone.

Gone and replaced by a metallic rattling and a strange smell.

A strange one, but also a delicious one. 

Reyna listened for a minute, before she had to open her eyes. Carefully, she turned around in her bed which was a complete mess. An obvious after-sex bed which was rudely interrupted when Killjoy entered their room once again without knocking making her once again run off into the distance with their breakfast. The bed still smelled a lot like Mirai, who was not present now. That was a good thing. The Chinese's scent was wonderful in her nose.

Reyna's eyes wandered through the tiny trash of a hotel room, quickly spotting Mirai. 

To Reyna's credit, she didn't get the nosebleed which she suspected she had. A wipe with the back of her hand under her nose proved that there was no trail of her deep purple blood on it. The reason for Reyna's sudden increase of heart rate was standing in front of the tiny, tiny kitchen area, doing so with nothing but a sports bra strapped to her chest and a pair of adorably cute light grey knickers. They were hugging her body tightly, being cut to show a large portion of Sage's criminally attractive looking butt while pulling off a very charming innocence; an innocence Reyna knew now Sage didn't have. The knickers still looked marvellous on the Chinese.

And that was it.

Sage apparently didn't deem more clothing necessary.

And Reyna was far from complaining as she crawled out of the bed and grabbed the next best random piece of clothing she got into her fingers... which just so happened to be Sage's black sweater that she might have unpacked whilst Reyna was unconscious. Reyna's bodysuit was nowhere to be seen, but she could not bring herself to care while she slipped into the shirt.

It was tight and small, but that wasn't important. The wool was soft and just like the bed, that is, smelled of Mirai. Reyna loved it, even though she was still basically naked.

Silently she snuck up to Sage from behind, reaching out to surprise her lover with a hug, when suddenly:

"Heya"

Mirai's cheerful voice said without turning around.

"Slept well?"

"Hola, mi amor"

Reyna hummed, pecking Sage's neck. The Chinese just giggled cutely while she was preparing breakfast after the Killjoy shenanigans. The scrambled eggs and bacon smelled wonderful in the hit pan, the sound of frying butter a welcome sound in the background.

"You hungry?"

Sage asked with a hum, enjoying the touch of Reyna softly hanging to her back. She could be so gentle when she wanted to; so caring and careful.

If she wanted to.

A week ago Sage would have deemed everyone, telling her that she'd spend intimate times with one of Kingdom and the criminal underworld's most feared and hated assassin and actually enjoy her company, absolutely insane. Yet, here she was, and Sage had never in her life been more comfortable around anyone before. Maybe Jett, but that was something different.

"Mhhh"

Reyna replied, licking down on Sage's neck and softly nibbling on the rather badly bruised flesh of her shoulder. Reyna definitely left her marks on Sage, and it turned her on more than anything that the Chinese was running around topless, showing these marks off for the world to see. Even if this world was only the person who marked her in such a way. It didn't matter. Reyna had claimed Sage for now and all eternity.

"Hungry for you"

She purred, a hand moving up from Mirai's hip to circle around one of her breasts.

Mirai sucked in a sharp breath.

"Reyna, not now"

She tried, but her voice was nothing short of a hot moan.

"You don't sound too convincing, cariño"

Reyna hummed into Mirai's ear, showering her shoulder in kisses.

"T-That's because... because you and I haven't eaten since yesterday"

Mirai replied in an attempt at defiance, but it was just for show at this point. She knew there was no escaping her web.

"Which means a few more minutes hardly matter"

Reyna purred as she reached past Mirai's arms and turned the heat of the stove down.

"I tell you what, you let me have my breakfast, and afterwards we have something to eat, before you get your breakfast. Sounds good, si?"

"Reynaaaaaa-"

Mirai shrieked as she felt Reyna's other hand suddenly dive into her panties from behind, her wonderfully cold fingers suddenly brushing over Mirai's most private parts.

"Oh, cariño. I didn't know you were this excited. You are soaking wet"

Reyna's voice was a sultry murmur against Mirai's ears as she melted away.

"What did you expect? You are fondling me!"

Mirai replied in a moan, not even trying to deny her excitement at this point. It would have been a lie anyway. She twitched forward as Reyna's hand brushed over that particular bud on Mirai's body. Sage would have almost face-planted into the hot frying pan in front of her had Reyna not held her back.

"Careful"

She hummed before she turned Sage away from the small kitchen and towards an old and unstable table.

"Lean on that"

Reyna ordered, and Sage complied. She felt terribly naked and kind of vulnerable in such a position, knowing that Reyna was watching her closely. Which she did, and she liked what she saw a lot. For a moment she just relished in the sight of Mirai pushing out her ass for Reyna like this, waiting patiently to be touched, before the Mexican stepped forward again, pulling Mirai's knickers off in one swift motion. She didn't hesitate as she plunged two of her fingers deeply inside of her Chinese lover.

"You are beautiful, Mirai"

Reyna hummed into Mirai's ear, as she was leaning over the Chinese while she was taking special, private care of her.

Mirai cried in bliss.

It was hardly surprising that Mirai and Reyna diverted from the original plane quite a bit. They had their breakfast, as Reyna put it so nicely, in bed twice before they went and ate the meanwhile completely dry and only lukewarm meal Mirai had prepared. 

After that, and who would have guessed, they ended up in bed another time for the next round. Somehow they couldn't keep their hands off each other, and seeing how their time together was very precious, that was hardly surprising.

They lost track of time long ago, just as much as they didn't really know how many rounds of their bed-game they had already played. Not that it was important, because it really wasn't. Yet, at some point, it was probably late afternoon, both Reyna and Sage were simply exhausted. Thus, they proceeded with the most basic and easiest way to show affection they knew: cuddling. Mirai had the strange fear that Reyna wouldn't be one for cuddling and seeing how her Reyna had a very prominent hit and run personality, that concern wasn't really uncalled for either. But to Mirai's positive surprise, Reyna enjoyed nestled in Mirai's warm embrace, inhaling her strong scent and feeling each, however slight, movement of her toned muscles through her fit body.

Mirai was leaning into the wall with her mala beads, while Reyna was cuddling upon her lover's shoulder, her long tanned legs across Mirai's lap, looking up at Sage from time to time. She felt strangely whole. Exhausted, test, but definitely complete. Being here with that addictive drug that Sage simply was felt amazing; it felt right. Reyna couldn't care less at the moment what their superiors would think, say, or do if they saw them like this. She didn't want to think about it. Wrong things could not possibly feel this good, could they?

Reyna uncomfortably rubbed over a part of her neck. Reyna knew that this adorable idiot named Mirai Kimur would be the first one to jump into Kingdom's way to stop them from getting to Reyna even though she was captured by them and tortured relentlessly. She would also be the first one to get herself killed. Or worse.

Deep inside, Reyna started to heavily despise Kingdom and what they did to her and the people she cared about. For years she hunted them down and slaughtered them one by one. She was Reyna, the walking weapon, deadly and efficient. Her sole reason to live was for the elimination of Kingdom and its associates. It was that easy.

That definitely changed on a whim.

Ever since Mirai showed her how another world could look like, how a normal life could taste, Reyna started to seriously reconsider her violent choices towards Kingdom. They weren't like Mirai was. No one at Kingdom treats anyone kindly or with so much love and dedication like Mirai always did. They controlled people with fear. They made them do what they wanted and what was best for them.

But Reyna wasn't angry anymore. She was wrathful.

She just needed to look at Mirai for a moment, take that warm, honest smile in, and her world could have drowned in blazing storms of raging fire. She would have felt alright. She was done with doing things for rage as it only used and abused her as it saw fit. There was someone else far more deserving of that kind of devotion and loyalty. Reyna would never allow anyone to harm the person who carried that smile. Never

"You alright, Caramel?"

Mirai asked happily, letting her hand run through Reyna's super soft, silken hair. It was an amazing trait of her girlfriend, that wonderful hair which she let run down her body. Now it was falling loosely over her bronzed shoulders and was slightly messy from their recent activities while Mirai carefully wrapped the soft dyed silk around her delicate fingers.

"You are staring right through me"

She giggled cutely while Reyna furrowed a brow.

"Caramel?"

She asked, not at all convinced of what apparently was her new nickname.

"Yes. Caramel"

Mirai smiled happily, proud of the new pet name she thought of for Reyna.

"Because you are bronzed,"

She said before she leaned closer to Reyna's ear and whispered.

"And taste really sweet"

"You are annoying"

Reyna huffed with a deep red blush burning on her cheeks.

Mirai just laughed as she looked at her gorgeous lover. It didn't take her long to figure out that Reyna always tried to insult her when she was really embarrassed or otherwise cornered in a way that threatened her bossy attitude to fall apart. It was actually rather cute.

"Hush, you love it!"

Sage shot back.

"If you ever call me that in front of someone else, I am going to-"

Reyna started, but quickly stopped as she noticed that Sage's loving smile froze.

The idea of calling Reyna by her new pet name in front of someone else ignited a thought in Mirai's head, one she hadn't really considered up until now, but one which was of crucial importance for the two of them. There was a moment of heavy silence spreading between them, before Sage spoke up again.

"What are we now anyway? I never really thought about that. I mean, we're supposed to be teammates, coworkers, or whatever, but surely we shouldn't..."

"Fraternize and fuck?"

Reyna provided bluntly. There was no reason to beat around the bush; it was what they had been doing those couple of hours.

"Yes"

Sage sighed almost sadly. Apparently she had very similar thoughts to those Reyna had a couple moments prior.

"We have to hide it, don't we? I don't suppose you'd just up and reveal it to everybody, would you?"

Sage asked with a faint hint of hope in her voice, yet the look Reyna gave her said it all. Mirai gulped a sour lump in her throat. Why was the world always so unfair? Why couldn't things be easy at least for one? That was hardly asking too much, wasn't it?

"We could run away. Screw VALORANT and everyone else. We pack our bags now and go. Just you and me. We just leave! Right now and never come back. Take the next flight to whereverland and be gone. They will never-"

Mirai was shut up by Reyna's lips gently pressing to hers. Both of the two quickly realized this was the most effective and also most enjoyable method of stopping the other one from talking.

"You know as well as I do that that would never work. You could never abandon your friends. They would go crazy with worry, wouldn't they?"

"Yeah, I know that, But I..."

Sage fell silent, holding Reyna a little closer to her, hoping it would tell her what she wanted to say but couldn't find the words for. Reyna reached up to Sage's face and cupped her cheek with her hand, peering deeply into her eyes.

"You are the only person I really trust, Mirai. You make me feel alive, warm, welcome and wanted all at once, and I want to be with you every moment of my life. But I can't. As much as I want to, I can't. I can't because of the things Kingdom would do to you again once they found out. And they would find out. I am yours forever, but we have to keep it a secret; it's the only way this could ever work. No one can ever learn the truth about us from now on. I don't think that anyone would understand"

"I know"

Mirai replied feebly.

"It's just... I wish it was different"

"So do I, cariño"

Reyna nodded, pulling Sage a little closer to herself.

"And in the meantime, we should make the most of the time we have together, ¿no lo es?"

"I like your thinking"

Mirai hummed, trying to ignore the bad feeling she had in her guts. She didn't like the idea of her being captured by those Kingdom lunatics but most importantly she didn't want Reyna to get captured by them. She couldn't stand the mere thought of her even doing as much as thinking about Kingdom ever again. Those bastards. What they did to Reyna, to her family... one day they'd have to pay. Yet, the rational half of Mirai had to admit that Reyna was probably perfectly right. It would only work when they kept it a secret. At least for the time being until Kingdom was brought to its knees and Valorant to be more accepting of fraternization. Which it eventually would be. And until then they would have to make do with what little time they were given.

Which was abruptly cut short by the loud, annoying, and very much unwelcome ringing of a cell phone.

Sage groaned, recognizing her ringtone.

"Why now? Can't you wait with whatever it is. Seriously"

She tried to roll over Reyna to grab her phone, but her lover was faster. She took the device in her hands and looked at the display.

"Who is Skye?"

Reyna inquired, cocking an eyebrow in a jesting way.

"I see. I have to be careful with you, otherwise someone is stealing you away from me. You keep more girls warm, just in case, is that right? Ts ts, Mirai; such a bad girl. Such a player"

Reyna teased, keeping the ringing phone barely out of Sage's reach, utilizing her longer arms.

Mirai groaned in frustration.

"Gimme!"

She demanded while laughing.

"C'mon, Caramel"

"Now why would I do that, cariño?"

Reyna teased.

"Remember? Skye is the new agent! Come on; give me the phone!"

"A new agent? Is that so? Oh, you are such a naughty girl, Mirai"

Sage rolled her eyes again, her sides hurting form laughing, but she still needed to get the phone. so, lacking better ideas, she quickly tickled Reyna on her sides, which made her cringe. Mirai quickly snatched the mobile out of Reyna's hands and accepted the call.

She had to force her voice steady but probably still sounded like she had been laughing a whole lot when she spoke.

"Kimur"

"Cariño, don't you dare talk to other girls when you are in bed with me!"

Reyna whispered into Mirai's other ear, nibbling on her earlobe while her hand slid down Mirai's body.

"You are mine"

A shudder ran through Sage's body, making it difficult to concentrate on whatever Skye was saying.

"Stop it!"

Mirai whispered, holding the phone away slightly, before turning back to it.

"Sorry, Skye. What is it?"

Reyna noticed that her lover's relaxed body went stiff as a plank of wood in the blink of a moment. Her smile froze, and her buoyant eyes glazed over, her expression hardening.

"Understood. Thank you, Skye"

Sage replied numbly.

"I am sorry, love"

Sage started, her voice bitter.

"You have to leave, don't you? And without me, isn't it?"

Reyna stated cooly, trying to hide her disappointment. It wasn't Sage's fault. Sooner or later their time together would have ended anyway. One of the two would have been called back to duty at some point.

"Yes."

Mirai nodded sadly, her voice filled with disappointment and worry as she jumped out of bed and started to collect her stuff.

"It's me. Brimstone is ordering me to have a medical checkup with an offsite doctor. I have to get back to base and do it"

Mirai was almost stammering with trembling voice, as she tried to find her belongings.

Reyna might have been a tiny bit jealous of her teammates, simply because they got to spend time with Mirai whenever they felt like it whilst Reyna was barraged with assignments, but Sage didn't have to know that. Be that as it may, Reyna understood that Sage had to leave.

"Hey, it's just a doctor's appointment. Nothing to worry about, ok? Just do as they say and it'll be fine"

"Shut up. I know what I'm doing"

Mirai tried to hide her insecurities behind a supportive smile, noticing that Sage's hands were shaking badly.

"This little checkup will be A-ok, cariño. I know that, you will be fine, si?"

Mirai took a deep breath, calming her nerves, as she smiled sadly at Reyna, looking up at the taller woman before pulling her close once again. Reyna's proximity worked wonders for Mirai's anxious nerves. Inhaling her sweet scent with a hunch of lavender slowed her world down into calmness.

"You will see me again. Sooner than you think. I promise"

She said, turning to leave.

Reyna stopped Sage one final time, before she could go, and kissed her once more before she released the bubbly Chinese.

"Wait!"

Reyna called out after a short moment, noticing there was a piece of familiar dark wool lying on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Your sweater!"

Reyna grabbed it and turned to follow Sage.

Mirai just giggled cutely.

"You hold on to that for me, so you don't forget me just yet"

After a cheeky wink the door closed behind Sage, and Reyna was left alone in the hotel room.

She instantly missed her company, her warmth, her stupid laugh, and her sometimes annoying attitude.

She started to feel cold again; dead inside and without a legit reason to live anymore.

She needed Mirai, like a junkie needed his drugs.

Mirai Kimur was her drug. Her addiction.

Reyna brought the sweater in her hands to her nose and inhaled Mirai's strong scent of perfume. Her aching heart calmed down for as long as the intoxicating scent lingered in her nostrils.

Now Reyna would have to go without that addiction for a while. Better get ready before Reyna got any stupid ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Dua Lipa, Angèle - Fever  
> MKTO - Bad Girls  
> Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl  
> Drax Project, Hailee Steinfeld - Woke Up Late  
> Édith Piaf - La vie en rose


	13. Through The Valley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The past few chapters have been riddled with immense amounts of fluff so this one will probably be the last one before being drenched in angst and hurt and actually advance the plot instead of PWP and fluff.
> 
> (Not enough proofreading so probably watch out for more additional mistakes and plot holes. )

**27°28'N89°38'E, Valorant HQ codenamed: Haven, Two Days Later**

"You really don't need to be nervous, Mirai"

Sabine encouraged her patient with one of her infamous sly grins. As an ex-doctor, she used to be one of the most trusted people in the world but not anymore largely because of how she treated her patients. They all kept randomly... dying whenever she lost her temper.

"We have discussed this already; there is nothing to be afraid of"

"Yeah, I know this"

Mirai said.

"I know that you need to make sure my body is working correctly. This just keeps reminding me so much of Kingdom"

She explained.

"Oh, I doubt you had such charming company at Kingdom"

Reyna threw in. She had been with Sage at all her appointments with the venomous ex-doctor... at least the appointments where they discussed medical things.

"True"

Mirai smiled.

"Alright. I'm ready"

Viper nodded and walked around her desk, Mirai and Reyna in tow. She pulled a little stool closer and sat down on the side of the large glass tube, typing some commands into the console set up right next to it. The unit awoke to life with a faint hum, the interior of the glass tube being illuminated by bright blue-ish light.

Mirai nodded and rushed toward the glass tube stepping inside.

"But I do just stand here now, right? Or am I supposed to do something else? New technology isn't really my thing"

She asked, a certain aggravation audible in her voice.

"Nono. Just stand there, that's quite alright"

Viper said, pushing a button to close the glass tube around Mirai.

"You know, I kind of hate Kingdom more every time she tells me something more about them"

Reyna said to Sabine, stepping behind her and watching over her shoulder as the scanner created a three-dimensional image of Mirai, layer for layer; her skin, her organs, her bones, and everything which should not have been inside her body.

Viper gulped as she saw just how much Mirai's body was affected by a singular object.

The image showed an implant all along Sage's heart, wires spread across every vein and artery before heading up towards her head where another implant laid. Her brain had a few chips and regulators of various sizes and forms seared into its flesh.

The computer was starting to figure out what the two implant's apparent function was before more and more labels appeared on screen, describing the construction, material. And the job of each implant.

Viper gritted her teeth whilst sneering as more and more results kept appearing on screen.

Reyna was taking it a little bit better, since she had kind of been expecting something like this, but nevertheless, the full extent of Mirai's forcefully implanted modifications was shocking.

"That is no problem"

Sabine said silently, inhaling sharply.

"It's no problem"

She shook her head.

"No problem"

"Reyna?"

"What's the problem?"

"This"

Mirai gestured toward the screen. There were quite a lot of readings on the screen, it was all double Dutch to Reyna.

Viper pressed the same button she used to close the scanner again and released Mirai from her temporary glass prison.

"So, how fucked up am I?"

She asked with a shrug. Viper turned the screen a little so Mirai could see how her own body looked.

"Oh"

Was everything Mirai had to say.

"I didn't know Kingdom would go those lengths to pry some information out of you..."

Viper started seriously, her hands trembling and her voice slightly gravelly from anger. Reyna knew how to read people perfectly and she knew that this was really bothering her.

"This-"

Sabine gestured towards the two implants and the wires all across her vascular and nervous system.

"They broke international law just so that they would prime you up for their unethical experiment. We luckily rescued you just in time before they could finish it but I have to get it out of you as soon as possible. I don't know fully what this device does but I'm sure it's up to no good with your body. Fuck!"

"Why are you so upset? You can remove it just like that can't you?"

Mirai asked confused.

"Because it goes against everything a scientist or even a doctor should do and it makes me mad! That, and the fact that they didn't even have the decency to do a proper job! That device is cutting holes in your heart, soon enough your self-regenerative powers will be next to useless"

"What do you mean?"

Reyna asked carefully.

"The implants are made haphazardly. The scanner has already seen that the wires connecting the stuff in your heart to your brain are already breaking. We need to figure out how to take it out of your body before it succeeds... I don't know what it will do if it succeeds. What will happen to your healing powers"

Mirai looked at Reyna for a long moment, deep in thought about what she had been told. That was when a beeping sound followed by a Morrocan-accented voice interrupted the trio's musing.

"I am sorry to interrupt, Viper"

Cypher said.

"But I have a message for Agent Reyna"

"Aamir?"

Reyna looked up for some reason, thinking that the cyborg agent could see them. Somehow, Reyna thought Cypher would be above her.

"How did you know I was here"

"I'm aware of the position and current activity of all of Valorant's personnel within every base's perimeter, Reyna. My cameras and sensor are linked to every room inside the base and cover large areas of the outside area. You should be aware of that fact by now"

The spy explained calmly.

"Mierda"

Reyna muttered under her breath, ignoring the teasing chuckle Aamir made.

"You don't need to trouble yourself. Your sexually intimate relationship with Reyna will not be disclosed to your superiors or anyone else for that matter. I'm a man of my word. I will only disclose such information to Sova, Viper and Killjoy in case I suspect an impending danger to your health. But neither do I suspect such a thing, nor would I disclose new information to them"

"Alright, alright!"

Reyna hectically waved her arms in front of her beet-red face.

"I can't believe a man watched us from time to time... So much for not having exhibitionistic tendencies... How did I not think about that...?"

Reyna uttered.

"Ok, never mind. What was the message?"

"Agents Brimstone wishes to speak to you. You have been assigned a mission for tomorrow morning. Please discuss the details with the Seargent, for he is waiting for you"

The same beeping sound which indicated Cyopher's interruption was heard again, signalling that the man had retreated again.

"So..."

Reyna said awkwardly.

"You go talk to the commander"

Mirai said supportively.

"I think I want to ask Viper more questions. We'll talk about this later?"

"You got it"

Reyna smiled, leaning over to her girlfriend and giving her a chaste peck on her lips.

"Take good care of her, Víbora"

She said to Sabine, before leaving the infirmary, Mirai looked after her with a longing gaze. The door fell close again and Reyna was gone, yet Sage's eyes were still resting on the place Reyna had last been seen. She stared for a few moment, not moving even a little bit, before she spoke up again.

"Sabine?"

She turned toward the ex-doctor.

"Yes?"

Viper raised an eyebrow at the Healer, not expecting Mirai to use her real name. She had almost been hearing Mirai's gears turn inside her head.

"Is it wrong for me to have a bad feeling at the thought of her going somewhere on a mission without me?"

Mirai wanted to know. She barely felt this feeling her entire life but she should've expected it with her shameful history of uncaring partners. Was this normal?"

"You worry about her"

Sabine cracked her one in a blue moon smile shocking Mirai.

"That's what every caring partner does, I suppose"

"And should I tell her?"

Viper actually laughed at that. Not because the question had been funny, but more so because of how absolutely necessary it really was. Reyna rarely had a working sense of self-preservation. She had to be the only person Viper was aware of who would be crazy enough to attempt to date a lesbian woman who swore a vow to never get into a relationship ever again. And not just anyone. China's crown jewel as well; the most efficient healer to ever walk Asian soil, a person capable of bringing a person from the brink of death like it was a walk in the park. Then again, Viper assumed Reyna always had a taste for the more interesting girls and boys.

"Of course you should tell her. It's pretty obvious Reyna likes to take risks. Remind her who she has to come back to"

"I don't have to tie her to the bed or something to prevent her from leaving?"

Mirai jokingly asked, and Viper simply just grinned. Her she was, sitting in the infirmary with Sage, Asia's best healer, explaining social behaviour to her. Something she has learnt the wrong way.

That girl never ceased to amaze.

**A Few Hours Later**

"Does Sabine always let you borrow clothes from her?"

Reyna asked, looking down on herself and not waring her skintight bodysuit anymore for the first time in a while. Instead, she wore a black pair of pants and a grey turtleneck shirt with long sleeves. A dark navy blue coat completed her attire for their little outing. Reyna's hair was pulled into a tight topknot making its striking dark and violet colour seem almost as black as the coat she was wearing.

"Ah well, I figured asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission"

She laughed a tad nervously, parking one of the Valorant pool-vehicles in a parking lot inside the small town near the base. Her mind was still clouded with the worry of Reyna going off in a mission without her.

Reyna just gave her girlfriend a blank look, tilting her head to the side.

"Relax; I'm sure she doesn't mind... I think. Besides, she was the one who said you have to get new clothes not that I didn't mind the view of the bodysuit but for more for the sake of other agents. That's what we're here for!"

Sage said, getting out of the car and grabbing an umbrella from its trunk. The sky was still pouring rivers down onto the earth below, and Mirai didn't want Reyna's makeup to start washing off. It looked too good on her.

"C'mon. We don't want to be late to your mission prep"

Sage beamed and reached for Reyna's hand, leading her into the town.

Reyna actually enjoyed the walk a lot more than anything else in quite some time. She was holding the umbrella simply because she was the taller one of the two women. Being the whiny person she was, Mirai protested at first, apparently thinking it wouldn't be proper for her to take Reyna out on a date and make her hold the umbrella. Reyna just smiled and took the rain-protection from Mirai's hand, getting the most adorable little pout in response. The Chinese was too cute at times.

Walking down the street, the pattering of the rain on the plastic surface of the umbrella, the two lovers fell into a comfortable silence. Reyna enjoyed the warmth of Mirai's body pressed to her side, their arms interlinked with each other. It felt nice. Normal. Somehow. Like they didn't have to hide from anyone or anything and, in a way, they really didn't have to. The chances that someone would see them and actually recognize were close to zero. That alone was relaxing. Reyna had no idea where they were going, but she didn't seem to really mind. She was perfectly content just following where Mirai was leading her.

People weren't really paying them much attention, even when the sidewalks were getting busier and the town more and more urbanized. Despite the horrible weather, a lot of people were out, minding their own business and browsing through the various shop windows of the many stores the small town had to offer. Ignoring the weather, it was a beautiful place to be. Soon enough, Mirai led them into a rather large outlet with more clothes on display than anyone could have ever needed for basically anything. It was surprising that a place as large as this one had enough customers here. It was a rather small town after all, barely large enough for people to not know each other anymore, with enough individuals walking around for two new faces to not draw any attention.

The store was rather well-visited as well. A lot of people were browsing through the various sections, searching for whatever they needed. Apparently, the water got people in the mood for shopping longer than they normally would. Salesmen were walking around answering questions and helping customers whenever they could. It was a rather busy place, and Reyna actually stopped a few steps into the store to take a look around. The interior was freaking huge, and she had absolutely no idea what to do here.

"So... Where do you want to start?"

Mirai asked in high spirits, smiling at Reyna with the goofiest expression on her face.

"I actually don't know, cariño"

Reyna shrugged ever so slightly. Sage thought for a moment that her girlfriend seemed a bit off, but she figured it might have been because she was actually out in public for the first time in forever, not out at night trying to kill someone. Mirai cringed internally, fighting the flame of anger burning in her chest at the thought that Kingdom did this to her, murdered a person very close to her heart to make her do something like this, bring her into a life of crime and violence just for vengeance.

"Alright, here's the plan: We start by picking out some pants and shirts for you. We then move to jackets and shoes and stuff like that. Then, we move to underwear; you'll have to start wearing some, no matter how much I don't like the thought"

"If you don't like me wearing underwear, I won't"

Reyna hummed, causing some very prominent red to spread over Mirai's cheeks. Sage was an eternal sucker for Reyna always going commando underneath that skin-tight suit of hers. It was simply such a turn on knowing.

"Hush! Don't tempt my resolve. You need underwear. You also need some comfy stuff like sweatpants and such. And maybe a dress or two. So... basically a whole wardrobe... any preferences? Colours?"

Mirai asked with a sigh, increasingly overwhelmed by the task. It all started out rather simple. Pick up some clothes for Reyna. She really hadn't thought about the fact that her girlfriend didn't own even a single piece of normal clothing apart from that one sweater she gave her and which was currently used as a pyjama top.

"Ok, ok, ok. Well, as you can see I'm... a bit indecisive but maybe black or white. Other than that... I never picked out clothes"

Reyna admitted.

"I was hoping for your experience"

Mirai nodded, choosing to ignore the implications of what her girlfriend revealed in the beginning. She simply heard pick something black or white. Fair enough.

"Well I'm more one for taking clothes off than putting them on"

Mirai laughed.

"Though I do know what I like..."

She stopped herself as some very scandalous ideas for possible outfits flashed through her mind.

"...Then again, I better not decide too much here, because you want to be able to go outside without being mistaken for a harlot. I'd just smack someone"

She looked around the store and spotted a young, apparently slightly bored saleswoman waiting for someone she could help out.

"I'll get us some assistance"

It was exactly the right decision to get some help. Mirai doubted they would have ever moved through everything so fast without someone who knew the store like the back of their hand. They had followed their original plan rather precisely so far.

The saleswoman was a nice person who had the decency to not ask any questions. Even though she had to notice that Reyna's skin was transforming to a more translucent form every once in a while and that Mirai possessed pure Radianite orbs on her belt and wasn't getting affected by their mutagenic effects. Mirai made sure to remind herself to give the woman a rather generous tip once they checked out. Just to make sure the girl knew her discretion was noticed and much appreciated.

It had quickly turned out that Reyna apparently liked black and purple a lot... which wasn't really a huge surprise. She also seemed to like dark grey and red. All together, not really the most uncommon colours, so it wasn't difficult to pick up the more basic stuff. The saleswoman suggested a few items. Reyna tried them on one after another, always careful to not step out of the changing cabin and only letting Sage peek through the curtain. Once she tried everything, Reyna asked Mirai which she liked the best, and usually that was what decided on in the end. In the beginning, Sage tried to encourage Reyna to pick what she liked the most, but Reyna just shrugged and told her that she had no real emotion concerning any article, this giving Mirai the choice. There was no point in arguing with Reyna about this, so Mirai didn't even bother trying. She knew her girlfriend good enough by now to know this.

By now they had covered pants, shirts, jackets, shoes, comfortable stuff, and underwear. Currently, they were browsing for one or two slightly fancier items. Namely a dress.

"Mirai?"

Reyna's voice asked from behind the curtain, and Sage got up from the chair she had been sitting on waiting for Reyna to put on the dress the saleswoman had picked out. It was a simple dark, backless dress, long enough to be elegant, but also short enough to not lack a certain lingering passion, a mysterious sexiness, and the feeling of something forbidden.

Mirai stuck her head through the curtain. To her credit, she managed to prevent her haw from crashing to the ground too hard, bringing it to a stop just a few centimetres before impact.

"How do you like it?"

Reyna asked, and actually had a shy blush on her cheeks. Mirai wanted to tell her how absolutely stunning her girlfriend looked. How perfect and beautiful she was. But she couldn't find any words which would've sounded totally cheesy.

So, Mirai grabbed the empty coathanger from the side of the changing booth.

"The only thing I'd prefer would be if you wore this"

She smirked goofily. Reyna apparently didn't get what Mirai was talking about immediately. Then she realized what Sage meant. The coathanger was empty. She'd prefer her naked.

"Of course, you would like that"

Reyna rolled her eyes, pushing Mirai out of her booth.

"Ask if they have it in white. I'm not sure if dark is the correct one"

"Sure thing"

Mirai giggled, turning to the saleswoman waiting patiently.

"Sorry that we're so much trouble"

"Not at all; that's what I'm here for, Ma'am"

The saleswoman said honestly.

Mirai resisted the urge to tell her not to call her "Ma'am"; it wouldn't have made any difference. The saleswoman was just being polite.

"I was wondering if you maybe have the same dress we are trying just now only in white?"

"Of course. I'll bring it to you"

"Thank you!"

The white dress was, to Mirai's surprise, even more amazing than the white one. She insisted it would have to be bought, and Reyna just agreed with a curt nod. It wasn't like she didn't like the way Mirai had already undressed her with her eyes. So, if her girlfriend liked it so much, she would wear it.

The saleswoman took the huge pile of clothes they had decided on to the checkout while Reyna was slipping back into the clothes she borrowed from Viper. For the first time since they had entered the store, Reyna left the changing booth again, still surprised just how large the place really was.

"Happy?"

Mirai asked.

"Of course, cariño"

Reyna replied, following her girlfriend. When she was still inside the changing booth, she hadn't really noticed too much, simply because she couldn't see anything. But now that she was out and had done what they came here for, Reyna had the time to look around a little bit. Was this how a normal life looked? it didn't feel familiar.

And that became shockingly apparent now that Reyna had stepped out of the bubble she was forced to spend large portions of her life in. It was everything she remembered. This outlet felt foreign. Like a strange concept.

There was a family, a husband with his wife and two children, a boy and a girl, both no older than maybe twelve, who were apparently trying to find something for the girl. The boy seemed bored out of his mind, and he soon ran off, searching for something fun to do.

He bumped straight into Reyna, who was trying to comprehend the shocking normality of what she was seeing. Never in the life she remembered had she been at a place where she just could walk in and be seen. Where people weren't expecting some kind of danger. Where there was no security and where she didn't have to sneak in and out. She was almost missing that sense of danger, thinking that nay moment she would regret letting her guard down.

For an instant, that sense was more than only tingling when she bumped into something smaller than her.

Every muscle in her athletic, perfectly toned body tensed up, preparing to strike, as Reyna looked down to check what had attacked her. She found the small boy with unruly hair and a patch across his nose looking up to her, and immediately felt stupid

"Why do you have purple eyes"

The boy asked with the innocent curiosity of a child.

Reyna's eyebrow twitched.

"My natural eyes were exposed to weaponized Radianite and were altered beyond repair. The iris is made out of organic material as well as tinted Radianite crystals, hence the colour"

She stated dryly, yet a little surprised herself that she actually remembered that. The boy's jaw dropped.

Mirai nudged her in the side.

"Reyna!"

She admonished, turning to the kid.

"You see her eyes are purple because she has super good eyesight. She can see things miles away, like, reeeally well. It's a really badass colour, don't you think, lil one?"

"Yeah!"

He cheered before quickly becoming serious again.

"So... her eyes weren't... damaged"

He asked carefully, almost as if he was afraid to answer.

"Well..."

Mirai hesitated, but luckily was saved bu the boy's mother who came rushing toward them.

"Thomas! Don't run off like that"

She said, taking him by his hand.

"I'm sorry,"

She apologized.

"I hope he didn't bother you too much"

"Mommy, the lady has glowing purple eyes"

Thomas said, but was ignored expertly, the mother obviously ver much used to the way her son was.

"It's alright, Ma'am"

Mirai smiled happily.

"Your son is very curious. That's good"

"Too curious for his own good sometimes. Sorry again"

The mother apologized anew, taking her son back to the father and their daughter.

"God, Thomas, you can't just ask people why their eyes are an abnormal colour. That's incredibly rude! It's none of your business!"

The mother said to her son while they were walking away.

Reyna heard it, of course. And one word in particular stung her recently-thawed heart like an icicle. Abnormal. It was true, wasn't it? She wasn't normal. Far from it. Most of her life was created from the murder of her family members by a corporation who didn't give a rat's ass about anyone. Usually knowing that didn't really bother Reyna too much, but right now it became painfully obvious.

It had taken Reyna and Mirai a little over four hours to complete their shopping in total before they were back on the street with bags full of clothes again. without the super helpful saleswoman Mirai had asked to help, they would have never been able to make it in that time. Mirai did remember to give her the handsome tip she wanted to for not addressing the slightly odd things the saleswoman surely noticed about her customers

Odd not in a lesbian way, which was probably obvious from the first moment, but she didn't say a word. And to keep it like that - her lips sealed that is - Mirai increased the small fortune she spent on Reyna to the next bigger small fortune.

It was a successful day so far. Now her girlfriend had some very nice outfits, training from simple to sophisticateed. A whole wardrobe for every occasion. Even some sexy stuff which they had decided on.

Sage had a lot of fun picking out clothes for Reyna, who really appreciated her girlfriend's efforts and was genuinely happy for her. Yet, something was bothering Reyna, Sage could tell. She didn't know what it was, however. Maybe she was just exhausted from spending the whole day out in an environment she wasn't used to in the slightest. Maybe some quiet place where they could relax for a bit would be a good idea. A place where they could talk, perhaps.

"What do you say, Caramel, let's have a nice cup of coffee after all that shopping?"

Sage suggested, looking at Reyna, who was again holding the umbrella while Mirai was carrying all the bags filled with the clothes they got.

"Sounds good"

She nodded, and Sage immediately turned them around and toward a small, plain cafe at a corner of the street.

They quickly slipped inside, paying attention to not get wet.

Inside, they were greeted by an old, but very comfortable cafe. A few customers were sitting at their tables, chatting happily with each other, but the place wasn't terribly crowded either. Mirai looked around in the store and quickly spotted an empty table in the backside of the cafe. That place would do just fine for them. She took the umbrella from Reyna and placed it in a corner next to the entrance before she grasped her lover's hand and led her to the table she had decided on. The bags they carried were placed on the unoccupied bench running along the entire wall of the cafe

"This seems like a nice place"

Reyna said, looking around she was evaluating the possibility of something bad happening here. This wasn't the first time Mirai caught her girlfriend looking around with that expression on her face. This wasn't like the clothing store. Where the latter had been busy and filled with people, this place here was more quiet and calm. It was a place to relax and unwind.

"I'm glad you like it"

Mirai beamed, causing Reyna to stop looking around and simply stare at Mirai. She was always so cheerful and so happy. Sunshine was really the best comparison for her. Sage was like the sun. Warm, shining bright, and always bringing light and happiness. She had been like this the entire day, and it was amazing to see how well Mirai got along with everyone. The Chinese had no difficulties communicating with anyone. She was always open and funny, and Reyna had no idea how Mirai did it.

Reyna's social skills were... lacking at best and nonexistent at worst. Most of the time, when she talked to someone other than Mirai or Sova, Reyna often snapped or became sassy. She got the feeling that she was holding Sage back with the way she didn't know a lot outside of killing people and seducing them without feeling. She began to wonder how Mirai could possibly ever be really happy with someone like her at the Chinese's side. The Vampire had been pondering that question for a long time today, actually.

It had been bugging her the entire time today. She wondered when Mirai had become this important to her, but it felt like she couldn't go on for even a second without her. Sage was more important than breathing for some reason, as stupid as it may sound.

Her girlfriend, of course, noticed that something was bothering her love, which was part of the reason they were even sitting in this cafe. Mirai was highly attentive when it came to the mood and feelings of her partner.

"So"

Mirai started.

"How are you doing? I mean, really? Are you alright? You'll tell me if someone is giving you a hard time, won't you, I can-"

"Cariño..."

Reyna reached across the table and took Mirai's hands into her own, letting her thumbs run over the back of the Chinese's warm, smooth hands. She needed to feel her hands. The faint throbbing of Mirai's pulse underneath that soft skin of hers usually well protected underneath some high-quality gloves. Reyna wanted to make sure that she was still really here.

"Huh?"

Mirai looked up from her rambling.

"I don't care what anyone says. I'm here because of you. And only you. Because I want to be with you and I couldn't care less what someone else had to say about it, or about me, or about anything else, really. They don't matter. You do"

Reyna said with no smile and no cheesy smirk. Nothing. She was dead serious about this. She really was.

"...Reyna"

Sage was speechless and wanted to say so much more, but couldn't. Mirai wasn't able to sort through the sheer amount of thoughts that popped into her mind fast enough before a cheerful person appeared right next to them on their table wearing a mint green apron over the light grey work-uniform. Questionable choice of colours, but somehow it worked out.

"Welcome, you two"

The woman smiled, obviously noticing the two girls holding hands in an unambiguously romantic way. Neither Reyna nor Mirai could bring themselves to care. The waitress wasn't from Valorant or Kingdom, so it didn't matter if she knew something or not.

"What can I get you?"

Mirai smiled and nodded toward Reyna, indicating that she should start with her order.

"A cup of coffee. Black and no sugar, Por favor"

Reyna said, glancing at the waitress for a moment. The girl - she could have hardly been older than 20 - had mesmerizingly smooth, perfectly black hair all the way down to her hips with a rather fascinating wave throughout it and green eyes which were shining brightly. On her apron there was a small nametag reading 'Sheena Gogh', and she was holding a small notepad and a pen. Just in the moment Reyna looked at the waitress, she actually quickly bit her lower lip, hearing the Mexican accent in Reyna's silken voice.

It all didn't go by noticed by Mirai, who had to suppress a smile. Reyna's voice would get that kind of reaction a lot in the future, she was sure of it. How Reyna tended to purr things with her absolutely incredible Mexican accent, the words slipping off her tongue like liquid silk in such an easy manner, and how she effortlessly incorporated pieces of her mother tongue which everyone understood; all that was basically sex for the ears, after all. The Chinese wasn't shy to admit that her girlfriend's voice alone was perfectly capable of turning her on. Like... really turn her on.

"A-And for you?"  
  
Shena wanted to know, quickly scribbling something down on her notepad.

"Mhh, I think I'll just have a cup of tea with a slice of lemon, please?"

Mirai said happily, not sure if they even served tea in this place. It would have been a shame if they didn't. One of the few occasions where Mirai actually felt the need to drink tea, what a pity it would be if they didn't have any now. It was a bit of blasphemy that Mirai, as a through and through Chinese girl wasn't too keen on tea, but it couldn't be helped.

"Black tea?"

Sheena inquired, causing Mirai to sigh in relief. The question must have meant they had some. Of course, black tea, because anything else was definitely nothing for her. Jett once shared a cup of traditional Korean tea with her and Mirai promised herself she'd never touch it again.

"Certainly"

Mirai nodded.

"Oh, and do you have cake?"

"Of course! Cheesecake and apple pie. Homemade ones as well"

"I'll take the apple pie, please"

Mirai decided instantly. God, she loved apple pie.

"You too, love?"

"No, thanks. I'm good, gracias"

Reyna said with a brief smile. She was feeling stuffed enough as it was. Her metabolism didn't need much nourishment, after all, and the meals she was provided at the bases were... generous.

"Alright, a cup of coffee, no milk, no sugar, a cup of black tea with a slice of lemon, and a piece of apple pie. Coming right up"

The waitress smiled and was gone as fast as she appeared.

Mirai returned her attention to her company, smiling shyly. There was a few minutes of only half-comfortable silence in which Sage tried to figure out what she wanted to say. Was this why Reyna had been acting more and more strange during the day? Mirai had assumed that maybe the little disturbance during their morning was getting to Reyna more than she admitted, by maybe that wasn't it. Mirai wouldn't lie, she had a great time taking Reyna shopping, buying clothes for her and picking all the various outfits. Usually, Sage didn't spend money on anything, apart from her single hobby of rebuilding an old car she owned, but other than that, she didn't need a lot of money. Playing guitar wasn't expensive, and her occasional need for some alcohol was covered by Valorant's bar. No, spending it on someone else was nice, and Mirai liked doing it. Especially when she got to pick outfits - most of which, yet surely not all, was part of an everyday wardrobe - for someone as gorgeous as Reyna was. She had a lot of fun. And Mirai was getting really communicative when she was enjoying herself. Had she been talking too much with the saleswoman? Had she maybe been too flirty with her? Was Reyna worried that she might leave? Was that it?

"You know"

Mirai said finally.

"When you say things like what you did before, I sometimes think I really don't deserve you at all. But oh, boy am I happy that you're here anyway. You have no idea how much you mean to me"

Mirai said honestly, not caring that today was apparently a cheesy day. Like, seriously, something like this was necessary from time to time! It was important in a good relationship to give the feelings one felt a chance to be voiced just the way they were felt. What could have been wrong about telling someone Mirai loved how she felt about her? 

Reyna frowned, shaking her head and averting her eyes from Mirai. She felt terrible. The whole day was one big showcase of how a normal life should look like. What living really meant. Yet, it was also a bonfire of what Reyna knew she would never be able to give Mirai. That normality which made Sage blossom so beautifully; her cheerful laughter ringing louder and her gleeful smile shining brighter. When they were picking outfits together, Mirai had been happy. Truly happy. Reyna could easily tell and it also made her happy. But part of her knew that a life with her would never really look like that often. She couldn't help but feel that this wasn't the life Mirai could possibly want or need. Reyna knew she would most likely always be haunted by her past. The chances of her ever having a seemingly normal life, like everyone else was close to zero. And she felt a chilly sense of anxiety creep up her spine at the thought that she might only be holding Mirai back from something. That she might be the cause of her little sunshine not shining as brightly as she could be. Reyna didn't want that. She wanted Mirai to be as happy as possible.

All that insecurity and anxiety suddenly surfaced. They had never really talked about their feelings. Hell, neither of them really knew just why they were even so madly in love with each other. Or when it happened. Or because of what. All they knew was that they were. For some reason, apparently. Or can two Radiants fall in love without a reason at all?

What bullshit. It was total crap. Reyna didn't even grasp the concept fully. Was she even in love? Most of the time it felt more like an addiction. But in the best possible way. It made her stronger, think clearer, and hear sharper. Her heart beat faster, and she felt... alive around Mirai.

Damn, that must have been love.

"If someone here doesn't deserve the other one, that would be me. I have not the first idea why you want to be with me. You don't have to stick around just because you feel responsible. I mean, I'm just... just... well, not normal"

Reyna's voice was cold, calm, and rational, which made her statements even more cruel. She had given the entire matter a lot of thought recently. It was no spontaneous whim of hers. Reyna never acted on a whim.

"I'm not like the family we saw in the clothing store. I'm not like the nice saleswoman you enjoyed talking to so much either, or the waitress in this place. I'm someone who doesn't remember what her purpose in life is, and the pieces I do know are just horrible fragments. Oh Dios mío, I can't pick my own clothes. I didn't know what colour I liked before I tried some today. I'm someone who could suddenly snap and murder you at the very mention of Kingdom's history with my family. I'm... broken. Just look at me. Nobody's eyes are this purple. Or touch me. I'm as cold as a corpse sometimes. I might not know a lot about society or how it works, but I'm not stupid. They ruined me. You can't tell me that all that doesn't bother you. Kingdom turned me and my family into a science project, and every day I notice more and more that-"

"SHUT UP!"

Mirai yelled suddenly, causing a lot of people to look up and turn their heads to check what was going on. Mirai had jumped up from her place and let go of Reyna's hands. Her eyes were filled with tears, about to fall down as she tried to blink them away, but destined to fail. Reyna just stared like she didn't understand.

"What?!"

Mirai yelled.

"What on Earth are you talking about?!"

She shouted with a trembling, faltering voice. 

"Do I suddenly need a reason to love you? I simply do! That's just how it is! I love you, Reyna, not for what you think you are, but for who you actually are! You're such a wonderful woman for so many reasons! And nothing you say or do will ever change that. I don't give a dam what happened to you in the past, and I don't care if you aren't like everyone else. If I wanted someone boring, I would have looked for someone boring. I couldn't recall a single face of any other woman I met months ago, because in my mind there is only space for you. You are you, Caramel, and I love you. No one else! No cute cashier, or pretty waitress, or a normal family; just you. I don't know when it happened, or why, or how, but I know for sure that I do. And I don't care about the circumstances, or if it's going to be difficult, or that you need time to heal. I just want you to know that no matter what will be, I'll forever stay at your side, and don't you dare think that what happened to you changes anything about how I fell. I will not hold things against you which clearly weren't your fault, and neither should you! Dammit, Reyna, I love you, don't you get it? I love you so much it hurts not be with you, and don't you ever second guess that!"

Sage breathed heavily, staring at Reyna with burning eyes. She felt her legs trembling, and wasn't sure how much longer she had it in herself to stand. But this was bothering her so much, and it felt so wrong. Despite maybe sounding a bit egoistical, Mirai knew she was probably a rather good catch. Someone a lot of people might have dreamed of being with. She knew that she was pretty decent at most things concerning a relationship. But not for a second had she thought that Reyna couldn't deserve her because of what happened to her and her family. If there was even a little bit of fairness in the galaxy, Reyna deserved her even more for exactly that reason. For all the years of mourning and violence. For all the cruel machinations Kingdom has plotted on her and her family. Someone who had gone through that kind of hell deserved someone genuinely nice, and someone caring and someone full of love and affection. Someone like Mirai Kimur.

How could Reyna think so little of herself now? She was such a great person. She was a strong woman, who had managed to survive the worst a corporate had to offer. She had skills like no other human on this planet.

But none of these skills were her own, in a way. They were all forced upon her. And maybe that was part of the reason Reyna felt worthless. Like she was a used piece of flesh, not worthy of anything.

The thought alone made Mirai so upset she didn't even know what to do anymore. Nor did she notice that the entire cafe had become completely silent, all the guests hearing her outburst.

"Hey lady!"

A man sitting two tables away from them called out for Reyna.

"Not that it's my business or anything, but trust me, when a girl ever says something like that, you don't ask any questions. You take her hand and count yourself lucky, because she definitely is a keeper. Just a friendly tip from someone happily married for longer than I like to admit"

The customers in the small cafe all laughed gleefully, apparently getting some kind of amusement out of the situation before they all seemed to return to their own affairs, leaving Reyna and Sage alone again. Mirai quickly slipped back on her chair, rubbing over her eyes. She was blushing pretty violently, for she had not intended to say these things so loudly. 

"You never cease to amaze me, mi corazón"

Reyna stated simply.

"Don't push me away, Reyna. I'm here for you. Let me help you"

"You have already helped me more than you'll ever know. I'd never push you away, I can promise you that. It's just..."

"I'm with you through all of this, ok? No matter what Kingdom did to you, it won't stand between us"

"You say that because you don't know everything about what they did. We talked about some things already, but there is so much more. Things I don't fully remember anymore, and I'm sure even more things I was forced to completely forget altogether" 

Reyna said weakly, but Mirai shook her head.

"I've seen enough to get an idea"

Mirai said.

"Listen, I haven't told you this before, but... well, Killjoy had some old video footage which Phoenix stole from Kingdom ages ago. There are tapes from your transformation to a Radiant to the torture and eventual death of your family. I've seen it. Even before we got together. In fact, I saw it the day Sova and I picked you up in that city. Remember?"

"Yes, I remember"

Reyna replied.

"You knew all along? Why didn't you..."

"I'm sorry I never told you. I wanted to know what happened to you, but couldn't ask you. So, I kind of loomed it up. Ever since that day, I knew there was a chance. You know... a chance for you and me. For us. I... I'm sorry. I should have told you. But I was afraid you'd be upset because I dug around in your past and since you have been telling me more about the things of your life, I thought maybe there was no need to ever talk about the video files"

Sage slouched her shoulders, hoping this wouldn't develop into a fight. Because if they were to ever fight about anything, it would have most likely been this. The vampire's eyes were peering into Mirai's in search of something. Like she was trying to get a feel for what was going on in Sage's head right now.

"I should have told you what little I remember about that time. But I was always afraid it would change you if you ever found out. I don't know why. You never gave me a reason to think differently, but I was just... I thought there were things which might be too much"

Reyna replied silently, and not the least bit angry. They both stayed away from the topic because of the same reason. No hard feelings there.

Mirai snorted.

"I didn't"

She said, despite that not being the truth. It did change her. She wanted to help Reyna even more, and she wanted to save her more than ever before.

"Now I'm even more certain that I don't deserve you"

Reyna said with a teasing smirk, and Mirai just chuckled silently, glad that Reyna didn't take any offence that Sage had seen video footage of what Kingdom did.

"Well, I'm sure you can do something about that tonight"

Mirai hummed.

Reyna smirk turned into a slightly carnal grin, but she didn't say anything. A moment later, Sheena was back, placing two cups of steaming hot liquid on the table.

"Here you go"

She said, sliding the coffee over to Reyna and the tea and apple pie toward Mirai.

"You know, it's probably not my place to say this, but I wish my boyfriend could say something like your girl did"

She said to Reyna with a sad smile.

"I might be a bit jealous here, really. I wish you all the best, and I hope you find happiness together. You really seem to deserve it. Your drinks and the cake are on the house"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber - I Don't Care  
> Meghan Trainor - Dear Future Husband (But in this case: Wife)  
> AJ Mitchell, Ava Max - Slow Dance  
> Dua Lipa - Break My Heart  
> Ava Max - Naked


	14. Memento Mori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unus Annus and Supernatural are gone so I am sad so now I write sad thing.

**Half an hour after leaving the cafe**

Reyna was about to push the glass doors leading into the meeting room aside when she walked straight into Cypher, who was also on his way to the scheduled conference.

"Good afternoon, Aamir"

Reyna yawned, waving to the Morrocan spy. The technician nodded at the Vampire before pulling her back from the glass door and a little bit to the side. Sometimes, Aamir felt like he was everyone's guardian around here, keeping an eye out so his fosterlings wouldn't get themselves into trouble.

"Wha-"

Reyna tried to ask a little overwhelmed, as Cypher placed her in front of the wall, grabbed the collar of Reyna's bodysuit, and straightened it determinedly. The spy didn't give Reyna the chance to say anything and started fumbling along the Vampire's luminescent cloth on her chest. The Mexican hadn't the slightest idea what was going on. Then, Aamir's hands were in Reyna's hair, pushing the wild, unkempt strands in a certain direction.

"Stop it! What are you doing?"

Reyna asked, not able to hide a faint flush on her cheeks.

"يا ربي. You look like you had been trapped in a brothel for a week"

Aamir sighed.

"You can't go in there looking like that. What were you thinking?"

"Yeah, that's because I-"

"Hush! One would think that one of you two might grow tired at some point,"

Cypher said without amusement.

"Oh my days, at least try to cover these hickeys down your neck. You look like you got molested by a bear"

Aamir inspected the place he tried to cover with the rest of Reyna's bodysuit once again, shook his head, and reached into the pocket of his coat.

"Seriously, I thought Sage was some sort of friendly neighbourhood doctor not someone like this. You got bite marks there. Tell her to slow down, my charming little Mexican friend. You sure she's not a vampire like you, right?"

Aamir sighed, pulling a little can of concealer cream with a sponge inside from the pocket and started applying the makeup to Reyna's neck.

"Don't ask why I have makeup. I had to pretend to be a human still with skin in a drag show to lure out a Kingdom scientist. The things I do for this organization. Shit, Reyna, You sure Mirai doesn't have razor teeth?"

"No, she just likes to... Well, I mean, when she has... Err... When she is... You don't want to know the details"

Reyna's face was now bright red, which was rare even when she discovered that Aamir knew about her amorous adventures from the start.

"You are right. I don't. I can see the results. You come to me later for a full body check. I think your back might be in need of some treatment"

Aamir said, trying his best to not imagine how sex looked with those two, but failing miserably. He was sure they had only two modes: gentle, careful lovemaking and borderline - violent fucking. The borderline part being optional. 

"You worry too much,"

Reyna tried with a one-sided smirk. She knew she was busted.

"Yes, because you don't!"

Cypher insisted, finishing his job on Reyna's neck.

"There you go. Not entirely your complexion, but it will do. Way less obvious than those huge, red bite marks and bruises"

"Thanks, Chulo"

Reyna said with a small voice.

"It was nothing. You really need to take better care of yourself,"

Cypher said, despite knowing that his admonishments wouldn't change a thing.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aamir saw Jett approaching the conference room, but instead of entering, she walked up to the two friends.

"Sorry to interrupt you,"

She started.

"But if you don't mind, do you have a moment, Reyna?"

She asked, looking at Reyna.

"There is something I need to talk to you about. It's... well..."

She glanced nervously at Cypher, who didn't take long to get the hint.

"I'll head inside. Don't take too long; the meeting is about to begin, alright?"

Aamir nodded gently before he walked away from Reyna and Jett.

"Sure thing. Save me a place, will you?"

Reyna called after him, before turning back to Jett.

"What's on your mind?"

She asked easily.

The ex-vigilante was nervously chewing on her lips, looking everywhere but at the vampire. She felt the heat in her body burning her face, turning it a deep red.

This was so embarrassing, but she had promised herself that she would finally ask Reyna. Jett had practised her question a hundred times in front of the mirror to make sure that she wouldn't stutter when she wanted to ask Reyna, but now, she was just opening and closing her mouth like fish out of water.

Reyna chuckled deeply, patting the younger girl on her back.

"Hey, you don't need to be that nervous, Chica. I won't bite you. Just out with it"

Reyna encourage the nervously trembling girl.

"It's a bad time for this, isn;t it? We should go to the meeting,"

She stammered. She turned around to leave, but Reyna grabbed the Radiant by the collar of her coat and pulled her back.

"Nooope!"

The vampire's curiosity was sparked; she wanted to find out what was behind all this. Now that she was thinking about it, Jett had been acting strangely around her for a while now. She just hoped that what the Korean warrior had to say wouldn't start with 'You see, there is this girl I like...' followed by descriptions of a girl strangely similar to Reyna.

"C'mon, talk to me. What's bothering you?"

"언니. How do I get a girl to like me?"

Jett asked, rubbing her hands together.

"Ther is someone I like, but I don't know what to do and... can you help me?"

Reyna blinked. Once. Twice. Jett indeed was talking about a girl.

"Are you asking me that because Cypher opened his big mouth?"

"Yes, he told me. Sorry! I didn't mean to be rude!"

Jett replied, waving her hands in front of herself defensively.

"I just... You have a girlfriend and you are getting really popular and you look like you know your stuff about relationships and I... please tell me what to do"

For some reason, Reyna's mind completely ejected the concept of basic relationship methods for her more extravagant and dominant one. A method that was the complete opposite of Jett's attitude.

"The others have different ways to their partners but me? I like to start with a bang. A story, take them on a journey. It's all fun and games, dear, it's in the tease. Cute is boring, sentiment is fine, truth is fearless but a touch of shadows with a swag, well that's the way, love. Make yourself higher than the top and make them fall down to your feet"

"You make it sound so easy, 언니"

"It's no sorcery, Chica"

Reyna chuckled, thinking back to how she and Sage just kind of stumbled into their relationship because the once chastity-locked monk got a little thirsty.

"Keep trying on new forms and chasing whatever tickles your fancy no matter where it leads, you fabulous little creature"

"I hadn't seen it that way"

Jett confessed.

"Just talk to her. There's nothing to be afraid of. You're the girl, Jett; I'm sure she'll beg for you"

"Huh. You really think so?"

Reyna simply grinned.

"Anything else I can help you with? Maybe some... bed-related advice?" 

"No, I already have some tricks up my sleeve. Thank you so much. I needed that"

"Anyday, Chica. Let's go before they start this super-important meeting without us,"

Reyna said, turning to the glass doors and proceeding to lead the way into the conference room. She spotted Aamir and walked up to him, leaving Jett to find her own place.

The last time Reyna and her teammates had been in there, Raze had lost consciousness because of exhaustion. That was a few days after Brimstone activated the mission to capture Reyna, many months ago. Time flew. The meeting room in the shape of a lecture hall hadn't changed since then. The fold-down chairs were still blue, and the holo-projector at the front wad displaying the Valorant insignia like it always did when it wasn't in use. Breach was shuffling through some papers, preparing for what he had to say soon.

A few other agents were already there, but most were not. There was Killjoy sitting in the absolute middle of the room, three pencils on the little tray table in front of her, all of which were at exactly the same distance from each other.

Phoenix was there as well, sitting in the second tow to the side. He had his legs up comfortably on the chair in front of him, chatting lazily with Sova. The archer was sitting next to him in a similarly relaxed fashion, his bow resting on his chest.

Now sitting two rows behind Skye and a little more to the centre was Jett. She carefully kept stealing shy glances at Skye, intent to not let anyone notice what she was doing. Reyna saw it immediately, though, and had to suppress a bemused smile. Now, who might the secret crush be? Gee wiz, I wonder.

Reyna joined Cypher, who apparently had simply chosen the first seats she found. They engaged in some idle chit-chat, waiting for the briefing to start and, of course, for the missing agents to arrive. Aamir inquired about the whereabouts of Sage, and Reyna told her that she had let her girlfriend sleep, having left a note saying that she would be back soon enough. Aamir seemed satisfied with that answer.

Viper and Killjoy were the next ones to join them. Judging from the towel still hanging around the raven-haired woman's neck, they had been training together. Killjoy greeted Cypher and took the seat in front of him.

It didn't take long for the rest of the agents to show up. Raze and, of course, Omen. Sage naturally couldn't appear, as she was still in medical quarantine.

Breach, standing in front of everyone, carefully cleared his throat while rubbing a white cloth over his glasses.

"Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen. May I have your attention please?"

He started, putting his glasses back on.

"There is an important matter I have to inform you about immediately. As we speak, a situation is developing in the Swiss Alps, near the Italian border"

The projected showing the Valorant insignia up until now changed its image to a map, displaying a large area somewhere in the Swiss Alps. The topographical lines were obvious indicators of just how impassable the area was.

Apart from that, there was nothing really unusual about the map at least, nothing that Reyna could see that would qualify for an emergency meeting this late.

"During the course of the last two weeks, both Italian and Swiss authorities have noticed an increasing power output from their automated power plants, responding to higher power demands. Now, that wouldn't be worrisome per see if not for the fact that a few hundred gigawatts of extra power have been drawn so far and the fact that, until recently, no one knew where any of it went"

Breach pressed a button on the remote control he had placed on the desk before the start of the presentation, and the projector showed the next slide.

"Four days ago, an Italian technician managed to approximate the location to which all that extra power was delivered"

A red circle showed up on the previous map, but all it showed was mountains.

"As you can see, there is nothing there. However, the Italian government decided to investigate. They dispatched a small research group three days ago, and so far, they have not reported back. Upon conducting further, indirect investigations and obtaining in-depth satellite scans, we were able to get some readings. Judging from thermal scans and the strong electromagnetic signatures, Killjoy and I came to the conclusion that there must be some kind of underground facility in the Alps"

Breach showed the next image, which was the same map but with the outlines of what seemed to be an enormous underground complex.

"I have a question"

Phoenix interrupted.

"Why exactly are you telling us this?"

"Good question. I was just about to get into it"

Breach nodded.

"Yesterday the Swiss and Italian special task forces formed an unofficial joint operations group to investigate the situation further. THey have reached out to us and asked for our help... unofficially, of course. The respective governments are still not giving their go-ahead for an official mission. So far the fate of the scientists is considered an accident"

That was exactly the moment when the door was flung open and Brimstone stormed into the meeting room, stressed out, as usual.

"Seems like I came in just at the right time,"

He muttered.

"You did, sir,"

Breach said.

"I was just about to-"

"Got it,"

Brimstone interrupted.

"Listen up. This mission is a special one. Four of you will be sent to Switzerland as military advisors to help the task group figure out what's going on. And when I say youy're going as advisors, I mean you will go ahead and confirm that there is actually a threat where all that power is drained. Our contacts within the special task forces can't act without official orders. Which they aren't getting without any proof. We don't know anything definite yet, which is why everyone is on edge. All we know for sure is that something's there. A team of twenty scientist doesn't die of the damn cold. And they are dead; we're sure of it. We could be facing Kingdom or even their new androids. Either way, we aren't sitting this one out. We'll do the recon mission the local military needs us to do and provide the necessary proof to get the marching orders thy require. They are capable enough to take care of the rest. This is a reconnaissance mission, keep that in mind. I want the Agents Killjoy and Viper and Agents Aamir and Reyna geared up and ready for deployment in half an hour. Agent Phoenix will be our field medic for this mission as Agent Sage is currently in quarantine. The rest of you, stand by in case things get ugly. For now, a small fireteam is our best move, but we need you all ready. Alright, that's it. You have your orders."

The agents stood up and saluted quickly.

"Yes, sir!"

Everybody said in unison. Sometimes, in the familiar atmosphere at the Base, it was easy to forget that they were a military organization; they followed protocol.

"The mission is called operation Pike's Peak. Dismissed"

Brimstone grunted, turning away to leave the meeting room followed by his fellow agents. Reyna was last in line still chatting with Cypher when Sova jutted into their conversation shooing away Aamir leaving only him and the Vampire.

"I feel left out,"

Mirai complained as they wandered over to base's hangar.

"I want to be out there too. What if something happens? Killjoy is always too reckless, charging in without a second thought. And Cypher, what if his cybernetic systems are malfunctioning? Who will repair them? Or Viper? She thinks she is invincible, but she isn't! And you, Reyna-"

"Oh Dios mío, would you shut it, please?"

Reyna nudged her friend in the side.

"Everyone is going to be fine. Whatever we are facing it's nothing we couldn't handle. I mean, Brimstone probably just jumped at the possibility to get some action for himself and us. You worry too much"

"You always say that, and then I am the one who has to fix all of your bruises, cuts and... bullet holes!"

Panicked, he exhaled and then quickly inhaled, nearly swooning. Then, he sighed heavily, his head sinking for a second, before she composed herself enough to look back up at Reyna.

"I'm worried about you, Reyna. You always get yourself into trouble, and you know it"

"I will come back, and I'll be fine. Besides, it's not like Mirai would let me live if something happened to me. She'd probably revive me just to kill me again or something,"

Reyna laughed.

"Adios, Lobo. ¡Espero verte pronto!"

Sova could only simply watch as the Junoesque woman walked off into the hangar but still he couldn't get the sickening feeling that something was gonna go wrong off his mind.

Two Valorant shuttles were being prepared for their flight to an Italian military base. Dozens of technicians made sure that the refuelling procedure was working properly, that the energy-cells were loaded correctly and that all the equipment and supplies were being stored according to specifications. It was one big hustle and bustle in the middle fo which the five Valorant agents awaited the green light. Brimstone, who would come along for this mission. was barking orders around, while Cypher was standing in front of a small scaffold scolding Raze for planting miniature explosives in his cameras.

Viper and Killjoy were sitting on a large create of ammunition, both cross-legged and chatting to each other, while Phoenix was carrying a bag of medical supplies into one of the shuttles.

Reyna was just checking the cooling units of her plasma pistols when she heard footsteps from behind. It was just whom she had hoped for. Sova was walking up to Reyna, closely followed by Sage. The Healer looked unfazed and bored which was really unlike herself, but Reyna noticed the spark in her eyes.

"Hola,"

Reyna said, waving with a friendly smile and forcing herself not to be overjoyed to be able to say goodbye to Mirai. There were more than enough eyes around; someone would see.

Sova didn't even get to say something before Mirai did, regarding Reyna with an icy stare.

"If I knew you would go on a dangerous mission like this. I would've tied you to that chair you were sitting on in that cafe and left you there"

She said dryly.

"It's not that bad, love, c'mon"

Reyna smiled, not knowing what she should do with her hands. She wanted to nudge Mirai, but decided against it, instead just folding her arms awkwardly above her breasts.

"You don't have to sit around all day"

Mirai snorted with a shrug. A moment of heavy silence spread between them. The tension was so thick that Sova though he would be able to cut a piece of air out from the two. There was so much both of them wanted to do so desperately, and it was so painfully obvious to Sova. He could feel how torturous it was for the pair to stand so lose to each other and yet so far away. 

"Don't you dare to come back with a scratch I didn't put on you"

Mirai said quietly. 

"Well, you know me. I'm indestructible"

Reyna winked at Sage, who suddenly reached out and grabbed the Vampire's hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze and stroking the back with her thumb. She continued for maybe a moment longer than was strictly necessary, and Reyna blushed fiercely

"I'll be careful. I promise, ok?"

Reyna said in a more serious voice.

"Don't worry about me, cariño"

She added, and Mirai let go of Reyna's hand, allowing the Mexican to turn around and rush off towards the shuttle.

**Switzerland, Temporary centre of command for Operation Pikes Peak, Half A Day Later**

The two shuttles made a tight turn before touching the old concrete ground surrounded by various hangars. Dust from the ground whirled up into the air, blasting across the airbase as the engines of the shuttles were still at full thrust, gently setting the ship down onto the surface. The dust cleared quickly because of the chilly mountain winds.

The engines of the massive transport vessels were killed and slowly came to a stop, the high pitched whirring they emitted becoming duller and duller before eventually fading away completely. The flight had been a long one, but the Valorant team was perfectly on time.

The soldiers at the base were a little curious about the new arrivals and did glance over to the shuttles, especially when the vessels' hatches opened, The agents of Valorant disembarked one after another, stretching, happy to finally breathe fresh air and stretch their legs for a little. Phoenix, however, was already carrying some crates of equipment.

Agent Reyna was taking in the picture that presented itself to her for a moment while Brimstone was busy organizing the unloading procedure. The airbase was extremely busy; soldiers clad in black uniforms were running around, following their orders. The feeling of hecticness was in the air mixed with a sizzling feeling of uncertainty and nervousness. Something bad was going to happen

The tension was almost tangible. It was awfully quiet despite all the ruckus going on, and the sky was murky with dark thunderclouds.

"You feel it, as well?"

Viper said, appearing next to Reyna.

"Yeah,"

She nodded.

"This is going to be... interesting"

"So is your choice of words,"

Sabine countered, shaking her head with a small smirk. That was what she liked about working at Valorant. The people who fought alongside her were just as keen on combat as she was.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed two figures approaching, both of them apparently part of the airbase personnel. They were wearing dark uniforms, one black, one a dark grey; the only blobs of color on their uniforms were their red berets and the badges of rank on their shoulder, two officers, it seemed. They were walking at a fast pace and following the military drill down to the last detail. The way they were walking alone made one thing obvious: they had spent the majority of their lives in the military.

"Glad to see you have finally arrived"

One of the two said once they stood in front of each other. He had a cold, professional tone to him, one that perfectly showed his no-nonsense attitude.

"Pleased to meet you"

Viper said with a flat voice.

"I'm Agent Viper. And this is the team you requested: Agents Killjoy, Reyna and Phoenix. Let me get Sergeant Brimstone for you"

"Thank you"

Viper nodded, pulled her hand out of her glove and put two fingers into her mouth, before whistling loudly. She easily got Brimstone's attention, the Seargent had been conversing with Cypher about something up until that moment.

"Come over here, boss. The brass wants to talk to you!"

She shouted, smiling at the two officers who were looking at her funnily. They seriously needed to loosen up a little. How can anyone work with a stick up their asses like they obviously had?

"Commander, a pleasure,"

One of the men said, saluting quickly. Brimstone returned the gesture.

"Let's get started already. How do we get to the location?"

Brimstone asked, not bothering with trivial things.

"We were hoping that you'd coordinate your team from the control centre here, Commander. We have prepared two helicopters to be used at your discretion. They will bring your team as close to the landing zone as possible. Your job is to get inside and gather information: who built the factory, what the dam thing produces, and what happened to the scientists. If you encounter problems, we don't expect you to fight them off on your own. Pull out immediately once that happens and inform us about it. THe information should be enough to give us official marching orders"

"You got it. Point the way, then"

Cypher said cheerfully. He was totally looking forward to some action again. The mission to the unknown factory was just waiting to satisfy his thirst for adventure.

**Nearly Half An Hour Later**

"Com-check. Alpha team, come in"

There was a moment of silence in which Reyna furrowed her brow.

"Alpha team, do you read me? Killjoy? Viper? Are you there?"

She waited another moment, but no one replied.

"Communications are dead; there is no signal. I guess they're too far inside the mountain and can't get a connection"

She said, while Cypher nodded in agreement. The scans of the factory already indicated its sheer size, so depending on where the first team was, it was more than realistic that radio contact was simply impossible. Massive rocks were usually not conducive to radio communications.

"Do we know anything about external surveillance systems?"

Reyna asked.

"No. We have to be moving carefully and hope that we can make radio contact once we approach the entrance to the factory"

Cypher said.

"I'll take the lead. Follow me, my friends"

Indeed, the entrance to the factory was not three minutes away from the location they had been dropped off. At first glance, the opening leading into a cave was easy to miss, but once they all walked inside, their paths was soon blocked by an enormous, red metal wall.

This was definitely the place, the entrance to the underground factory they had been looking for. So far, there was no surveillance system visible. Strange.

Each step echoed inside the small cave until shortly after the agents of Valorant stopped in front of the large metal door in their way. Reyna was definitely impressed by the enormous size of the front door alone.

"And how do we get inside there?"

"Knock and ask kindly isn't an option, I guess?"

Phoenix shrugged.

Cypher laughed.

"Knocking is a good cue but this is a moment that a sliver of finesse will do the trick"

He said before raising his right hand towards the door causing a circular ring of blue light to appear on his palm as the doors automatically swung open.

"The scientists did get inside somehow. They didn't come equipped with a neural interface, Aamir. Neither did Killjoy and Viper. We want to gather intel. Can't do that if the whole country gets alerted of this hack"

"I hate it when she is right,"

Cypher muttered.

"Any luck with contacting our comrades?"

"I'll try it again,"

Phoenix said.

"Alpha team, this is Bravo. Come in, please"

Static cracking noises was all their ear-pieces spouted for a second, but then, the noise cleared out and there was a voice. It could have been clearer, but it was still perfectly understandable.

"We thought you might have forgotten about us"

"Viper. Good to hear from you. No, we didn't forget about you. But we couldn't get through to you with all that rock around"

Phoenix replied.

"Listen, how exactly did you get through the door?"

Phoenix asked and glanced over to Reyna, who was looking at the metal wall and noticed that there was a normal sized door incorporated into it.

"Most obstacles only exist in our mind"

Killjoy said mysteriously before bursting into a fit of childish giggles.

Phoenix frowned, but Reyna just smirked and carefully pushed the handle of the door down.

It swung open.

"Of all the things I didn't expect, this might just take the cake"

Reyna blinked twice, just to make sure that she wasn't seeing things. The door leading into the secret complex, however, was indeed open.

"That's what we thought, too,"

Killjoy's bodiless voice replied.

"Wait a second, my friend. Are you telling us that you also found the door open?"

Cypher wanted to know.

"That we did"

"Ok, I'll just go ahead and ask this now. Why exactly would you leave the door to your super-secret underground whateverthisis unlocked?"

Phoenix asked curiously.

"Either because whoever built this facility didn't expect it to be found or because the scientists opened the door for us before they vanished,"

Reyna provided. The group was standing around the now open entrance, all of them looking at it with some suspicion apparent on their faces.

"Or this is one bloody trap"

Phoenix murmured rather quietly, not really wanting anyone to hear that thought. He didn't like the idea himself.

"Whatever it is,"

Killjoy's voice said,

"It's brand new. Mrs Angry Shorty Short Short here says the systems here are of the finest quality"

"Are there surveillance systems?"

Reyna managed to force out of her mouth without snickering at Killjoy's nickname for Viper's evident lack of height.

"Ther are, but we managed to loop them, except for one rather large area. I'm still working on getting access. We will keep you updated"

"Alright"

Reyna nodded.

"We gain nothing from standing around here,"

She said and stepped through the open door. 

The room behind the metal gate was a stark contrast to the rough, uneven and damp cave outside. Smooth, grey concrete covered the walls, the ceiling and the floor. The air was parched, and apparently, light wasn't really a thing here. The small room behind the door was merely lit by a few red emergency lights, providing a bare minimum of illumination. From that central room, a lot of different corridors spread out at an angle into different directions. They all led deeper underground.

Reyna, Phoenix and Cypher proceeded to walk down the corridor. They cleared multiple rooms on either side of this hall, and they left those rooms as they found them: utterly empty. After the first five completely vacant rooms, they gave up on opening each door like there was something behind it about to attack them. After ten or so more doors, the two agents stopped opening them altogether. The rooms behind them were all the same. Completely empty.

One thing, however, did change. The further they walked down the hallway, the louder and more prominent the whirring background noise got. They were definitely closing in on but soon enough something caught Cypher's whirring eyes.

"What's up?" Reyna asked and dashed towards the Morrocan spy. It didn't take her long to figure out where Cypher had been staring. The floor was spotless, like it had been the entire time they had walked down the corridor.

But underneath the door, a pool of red liquid was coming forth.

Reyna exchanged a glance with Cypher, who was moving into position on the right side of the door, with Phoenix standing behind him. Reyna stood on the other side, using her fingers to count down from three. Once she hit the mark, she pushed the door open and quickly ducked out of the way for Phoenix to charge in.

He stopped two steps into the room and Reyna also froze behind him.

The whole room was buzzing, the sound of hundreds of startled flies, all hurriedly interrupting their meal.

The smell inside the room was abhorrent. Decaying flesh was never pleasant, but this felt like one of the worst stenches that ever filled Reyna's nostrils.

The lights were dim, but that didn't mean they couldn't see the approximately ten bodies, all hanging from the ceiling like pigs in a macabre slaughter house. The science team. Hung from meat-hooks, upside down, with what little was left of their eviscerated bodies having been riddled with bullets.

Reyna quickly ducked out of the small room again, soon followed by Cypher and Phoenix. The stench was not bearable, and their faces had paled considerably. Especially the Afro-British fashion model and field medic seemed to have lost all of his chocolate colours.

"We found some of the scientists. Not all of them. But... a few. No idea where the rest is." 

Reyna said, pressing a finger to the earpiece of her communicator.

"That is good news. How is their condition?"

Killjoy's bodiless voice asked.

"Food for the flies" was Cypher's reply, uttered under his breath, his eyes fixed to the clean concrete wall opposite to him. He had seen his fair share of gore and bloodshed in his life as a spy and warrior. That didn't mean it ever got easier. Seeing those scientists, those poor civilians slaughtered, butchered, torn apart and hung from the ceiling like that... it wasn't easy. He didn't want to think about it too much.

Reyna and Aamir exchanged a brief glance, knowing that both of them were thinking the exact same thing. They didn't need to verbalize the fact; instead, they silently agreed to move on. There was nothing they could do for the scientists anymore.

As they were walking, both of them lost in their own thoughts, the humming and whirring sounds in the background got more and more prominent. The strange noise was accompanied by a rhythmic metallic smashing sound, similar to a huge metal press in automated forges.

The hallway soon ended in front of a heavy metal bi-parting sliding door, the strange forge-like noise now louder than ever before.

"Alpha, come in please."

"We hear you"

"There is a huge door in front of us, but it's locked."

"I'd say we found something important," 

Cypher said, inspecting the door.

We are working on it; please be patient for a moment. This is the area we wanted you to inspect. There are no cameras in there.

It took Killjoy around twenty minutes before she spoke up again.

"Try it now. But be careful, we have no idea what's behind that door."

"As long as it's not even more dead scientists," 

Cypher grumbled, walking up to the huge portal with his cyber cage prepped up and running. The two massive metal halves parted and slid open with a loud hissing noise. Reyna followed closely behind Cypher, looking through the concealment, curious what would be on the other side.

They both froze in place, once the metal obstacle gave way and let them see what it had been hiding. Reyna's legs refusing to move because of what she saw. Her eyes were wide from shock, her brain not able to make her body move.

What lay before her was nothing other than a gigantic production plant. For androids. An illegal birthing machine, the largest one Reyna had ever seen. Even the few legal ones paled in comparison to the underground complex. Hundreds if not thousands of robots were being assembled in dozens of production lines in the background. Robotic arms were busy holding components for others to weld, sparks dripping or flying all over the place, while huge metal hammers pressed flat metal sheets into specific shapes.

More robots than Reyna could have counted.

"Alpha team. We have a problem," 

Cypher said after he found his voice again. He walked two steps into the enormous hall. They were standing on a balcony that wound above and around the entire hall, maybe twenty meters up in the air. It allowed them a vantage on the entire plant, which, itself, was large enough to swallow an entire battleship whole and let it vanish. The heat from the blast furnaces, melting metal for the automatons, was wafting through the hall in waves like fire, and the sound of the welding and stamping was a painful perturbance in the ears.

"We see it through Aamir's helmet camera, what's-"

Viper shouted. Her voice was followed by the roaring of a gun.

"Sabine?!" Reyna yelled but was interrupted.

There was a metallic sound behind Tracer.

She and Cypher spun around, and came face first with a certain kind of android. Three of them. Their silver and yellow paintjob almost as obvious as their profile.

Kingdom.

Reyna's mind was racing to find cover, but the way back out of the door was blocked by the bots. Two of them had already transformed into sentry formation. Time slowed down to a fraction of reality. Reyna heard Pheonix yell to get behind his fire wall as she leaped backwards. She was aware of the fiery energy field closing down to the floor, as she skidded behind Phoenix's barrier. While doing so, Reyna's right hand hummed ever so slightly before a familiar translucent energy warped around it allowing her to throw a leer eye into the three robots.

The explosion shattered them into thousand pieces, before Reyna hit the handrail on the balcony with her back. She quickly got up and turned around just to see that there were more androids on the other side of the balcony. Phoenix's shield was facing the wrong way now.

She wanted to call out for Phoenix, but the words didn't leave her mouth fast enough.

The next thing she heard was the roaring of multiple Gatling guns, followed by all-numbing pain. She tried to concentrate on her abilities, trying to use her ability to transform her body into translucent mist, but as she did so, she only felt a painful stings rush through her body.

Reality around her started to blur and dissolve for but an instant.

She stumbled.

And her world turned dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Lewis Capaldi - Before You Go  
> MEDUZA, Dermot Kennedy - Paradise  
> Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl  
> Joji - YEAH RIGHT


	15. Siren Song

In the distance a siren went off, screaming in almost painful pitches, followed by an equally loud, but totally calm speaker announcement.

"Attention all medical personnel, this is a category five emergency situation. Attention medical response teams. Emergency squads Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta report to helipad four immediately. Field Medic Skye, report to helipad four immediately. I repeat: Category five protocols are enabled. Emergency squads Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta report to helipad four immediately. Field Medic Skye, report to helipad four immediately."

The voice was feminine, but artificial, most likely a facility-bound AI. The Healer had no idea why, but her heart dropped into her pants. Like lightning rushing through her mind, she connected the returning ships and the immediately following announcement with Reyna's mission. Something happened. As if pulled by invisible strings she stood and jumped off the rock she had been sitting on.

"If you would just excuse me for a moment, Jett"

She said to Jett and was gone, vanished into the night faster than a bat out of hell, rushing up the slippery steps on the cliff, only coming to a halt when she reached the top, overlooking the helipad below her. Parked there was the same shuttle from before, the engines running and steam blowing out of pressure-valves. The floodlights were activated, both of the base as well as the lights on the shuttle. The side door was open and a team of medics already rushed toward the opening, carrying big red bags, while pushing a floating stretcher with them.

There was Brimstone, barking orders, the voices echoing off the walls of the base in a reverberating way.

And then there was Viper. A hastily and rather poorly bandaged wound on her head was still bleeding profusely, but that was not what caught Sage's eye.

The chemist was carrying someone.

Mirai looked at the form in her arms and her heart stopped, an invisible string wrapped around her throat and choked her, the breath caught in her lungs. She wanted to scream, but couldn't make a sound. Her legs felt like they were giving in and she would sink to her knees, but she didn't move. Her skin felt like it was boiling, a thousand ants crawling underneath it, prickling painfully while she could only stare in disbelieve. This was not happening. It could not be. Sage was vaguely aware of a faint sound of air behind her, but she could not avert her eyes. There was so much blood. Which wasn't even the worst part of it. The body was riddled with holes like swiss cheese and a lot of her flesh was torn out via shrapnel or the bullets themselves.

"Well then. Here we go again" Jett stated calmly

\---------------------

"The team sent on operation Pike's Peak is returning. They are reporting four injured agents, two of them critical." the AI replied calmly.

"Specify!" Skye instructed while she was stumbling toward the door, grabbing her white coat.

"Critically injured: Agents Phoenix and Reyna. Agents Viper and Killjoy suffered moderate injuries."

Skye's heart skipped a beat when she heard the names, but she didn't allow herself to succumb to panic now. She knew that she was most likely the only person standing in between death and her friends.

"Why am I being informed about this only now?! How long have they been in the air already?"

Skye hissed. She could have been prepared for this, why did no one tell her?

"Swiss officials authorized and implemented the usage of an electromagnetic counter measure against large android activities. Communications have been affected."

"Androids? What does that have to do with anything?"

Skye sprinted through the corridor leading toward the helipad.

"I am afraid that reliable information concerning this matter is not available at this time."

"Whatever" was all Skye said as she pushed the doors leading onto the helipad out of her way. The huge shuttle had its engines still running and side door open, two of the emergency teams already busy at work, loading two people onto stretchers. Medics were running around shouting over the noise of the engines, holding on to papers, so the winds caused by the very same engines wouldn't blow them away.

"Field Medic Skye!"

One of them hurried toward her.

"Preliminary report ma'am:"

He started, his voice surprisingly calm, despite almost running alongside Skye. They were professionals, and their hurried movements didn't mean they were rushing things. They worked fast, but precise. Just the way they were trained. Most of them were taught to work while being bombarded by artillery and shot at by the enemy. They all could keep their calm just because a shuttle was sitting next to them with its massive engines running in standby.

"Agent Phoenix, fractured Arteria carotis communis caused by a tangential gunshot wound, field medic applied a compress. Penetrating gunshot wound, between the fourth and fifth Costae verae, left side low, and first and second Costae verae, right side, also low. Bullets appear to have splintered, initial scans show damage to the arteria pulmonaris. Liquid bandage was applied, stim-supplements and painkillers, standard-issue, 200mg bolus."

The man shouted over all the noise from both the engines and the commotion around them, with a deadly seriousness expression. Despite everything going on, he was speaking loud and clearly, while Skye bent over Phoenix. The man was lying on his stretcher, barely breathing and hardly alive. There was blood everywhere, his clothes were soaked and even the stretcher he had been placed on was dripping with the dark red liquid. An IV was already hooked into his right arm and another medic held the clear liquid bag, while another one placed an oxygen mask on Phoenix's face. Despite the chaos and the turmoil around her, Skye kept a calm mind.

She needed to get an overview over the situation before she would make her decisions.

"Reyna?" she asked, her voice sour.

"Right over here."

The man who gave her the run down on Phoenix said.

"Doesn't look good, we couldn't get a clear reading on her..."

He said, and this time there was actually some emotion in his otherwise calm voice, something akin to worry.

"What do you mean, you couldn't-"

Skye stopped her words when she saw Reyna, lying on the stretcher. She was bleeding profusely and had horrible bruises all over her face, but that was all nothing. The worst part was.

She flickered.

A purple light kept blurring her back and forth, making it seem like she was repeating movements, or doing multiple at once. The blood, pooling on her stretcher seemed to float around her body before suddenly obeying the laws of gravity.

Skye's face lost all color.

"What about the other two wounded?"

"Minor, both are able to walk."

The medic replied.

"Skye!"

A voice called and through the mass of people, Brimstone appeared at her side.

"Not now, boss!"

She hissed, turning back to the medic.

"Alright."

She nodded.

"Re-route Phoenix to Split central hospital immediately. Teams Alpha and Bravo will stay with him. Give him another shot of stims, 100mg bolus."

Skye ordered. She was the only person in the medical department not on break or quarantine after all. Deciding things was now a large part of her job. And she just decided that she had two patients in dire need of attention. Phoenix was on the verge of death and so was Reyna. But she could only help one of them. And where Phoenix's injuries were very severe, they were also rather traditional. Any hospital with a trauma surgeon could perform the necessary procedures. Which begged the question of why he was brought back here, but that was a thought for later. There were not enough surgeons at the base in Bhutan to treat both Phoenix and Reyna at the same time, yet they both needed to be treated immediately.

"As you were!"

Brimstone shouted, and the medic froze. Brimstone grabbed Skye by her shoulders, looking sternly at her.

"Why do you think I decided to bring Phoenix here and not put him in a hospital in Switzerland, Skye? We can't bring him to a normal hospital. It may not look or feel the part, but Valorant is still very much illegal. We can't risk being exposed!"

Skye's eyes flared up in a wave of anger. She was close to being furious. Did he seriously risk Phoenix's life out of fear of being exposed? That kind of sacrificial thinking was what made her hate the military.

"You should have thought about that before you expanded Valorant. We don't have enough surgeons, mate! It's only me! I can't perform surgery on both of them at the same time and they both need treatment now! I'd rather he ends up in prison than in a graveyard!"

She actually hissed, pushing Brimstone's hands off her.

"Now get out of the way!"

She turned back to the medic again.

"You have your orders!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

The man replied and got his team to move.

Reyna wasn't as lucky as Phoenix was. Not that it was in any way correct to think of either of them as lucky given their situation. For Reyna, there were only two people in the world who would be able to prevent her from dying... or even worse. She needed both of them. 

"Team Delta, you are with me. Team Charlie, you see to the other wounded."

The Australian ordered loudly and clearly. The people around her acknowledge the command and started to split, two of them grabbing the stretcher Reyna was placed on and pushing it away from the shuttle. Skye spotted Viper and Cypher a little to the side. They were both roughed up, but seemingly ok. Phoenix was already back inside the shuttle with a multitude of medics working on him.

"Get a move on"

Skye said, pointing at the entrance into the Watchpoint. They needed to get Reyna on the operating table as soon as possible. While they pushed her away the shuttle closed its doors with a loud hydraulic whirr before it lifted off with a roar of its mighty engines.

"Prepare operation room two immediately and inform Raze at once. Reyna's abilities has caused an anomalous event, she is fading in and out of our reality. She has to be ready to perform an emergency surgery in three minutes."

Skye instructed as she was running next to the stretcher, now being pushed down the aisles of the base and toward the operating room.

"Of course, Doctor"

A short pause indicated that the AI was simultaneously informing Raze about the situation.

"She will be there momentarily"

The AI replied.

"Good."

Skye acknowledged, before turning to one of the medics.

"Vitals on Reyna?"

"Sorry ma'am, we can't get a reading. She seems to drift through our reality. Her vitals are all over the place."

A woman replied, while she desperately tried to hook an IV into Reyna's arm. It kept falling through her skin with every blurry flicker of her voluptuous body.

"Fuck. Fuck me dead"

\-----------------------------

Sage was sitting on a chair in front of the operating room, her body numb all over. She thanked the heavens for Jett, because if she wouldn't have helped her ease her worry, she would have lost her mind by now. It would have been too much. She would have murdered the next best person who would have passed her, giving her a strange look.

No matter how hard Mirai tried, she couldn't get the image of Reyna out of her mind. Carried by Viper, blood pouring out of her body. Her chest nearly torn in half, lights flickering periodically and Reyna's form with it. She vanished for a moment before she appeared again. Every few seconds.

She felt something grip at her heart and squeeze tightly, a feeling that didn't leave Mirai since the moment she had seen Reyna in such a state.

That was how long ago?

The Healer didn't know.

Time was all the same to her. She was only sitting in the corridor, waiting. Completely detached from reality, not acknowledging anybody, not even realizing anyone was here in the first place. She hadn't even noticed a nurse asking her if she wanted some coffee a few hours ago, the input didn't even make it to Mirai’s brain. It was cancelled out way before.

Her skin felt numb on the outside and like it was on fire on the inside. She was cold and at the same time she was close to breaking a sweat. Her mind was like a broken record, repeating the same thought over and over again. Please be alright, please be alright. Don't leave me, please! Please be alright! It echoed in her head, while she stared at the door in front of her with lifeless eyes, like she could force her will through them and to where Reyna was. There was nothing she could do otherwise. The fate of her beloved one was entirely in the hands of Skye and Raze.

All that Sage was capable of now was the waiting game. She used to be good at this, patiently lying in wait, until she had any operation done and dusted. It had never bothered her for she had always been very patient. But not right now, not right here, in this situation. The Healer dreaded every painfully slow passing second while she was left with no other choice but to wait.

For news.

For that damn door do finally open.

For anything on Reyna.

Somewhere in the back of her head, through all the fog that was the all numbing worry and pain of what might have happened to her girlfriend, lover, center of her universe, Mirai also plotted what she would do next. This was someone's fault and it surely wasn't Reyna's. There was some talking to do.

She waited.

How long, she did not know and it didn't matter either. She would wait for however long it would take, her eyes fixed on the door into the operating room. Anyone who would have dared to look into those orbs of hers would have noticed how dull they seemed, how they lost their sharp sting and how there was nothing but pain behind them.

But the only person who walked past was Breach and he only glanced briefly in her direction. Their eyes met for but an instant before the infamous thief walked past her and vanished behind a corner. Mirai glared in the direction he left. A real friend would have stayed. A real friend would have waited. He had paused for a moment, as if he was pondering the idea of staying. It was obvious he wanted.

Mirai waited. Her skin tingly all over and the tips of her fingers unusually numb.

It seemed like an eternity and each second she died a thousand deaths.

And then, just as she thought that she might be waiting for all eternity, her prayers were heard.

Finally, the door moved.

First Mirai thought she might be seeing things, but the door actually opened carefully, and out came a completely exhausted Skye. Her movements were slow and tired. She was pale, and had huge dark rings under her eyes. She looked at least 20 years older in that moment. Spent and exhausted. Frail, like a gush of wind would cause her to fall into pieces. She tried to put her hands into her pockets while the door closed behind her, but her hands were shaking so badly, she didn't manage to hit the opening. After the third try she just gave up with an awkward sigh of total defeat.

The Healer shot up from her place and almost teleported toward Skye, standing in front of her with a stern, emotionless expression.

Oh please, please, please let Reyna be alright. Skye is just exhausted, she is just that. Please, she did not fail, Skye cannot fail. She mustn't.

A thought shot around her head before the new Australian agent spoke up.

"Oh. Mirai."

Skye whispered with a small voice as she looked up and noticed the monk standing in front of her, her lips pressed together tightly and her eyes narrowed expectantly.

"Is Reyna..."

Mirai asked and time seemed to freeze completely just like the temperature inside the hallway. She didn't dare to utter the next word. Alive?

A second ticked past.

Another one.

Skye's expression was blank.

"Have you been waiting the entire time?"

She asked, blinking twice, her eyes tired and dull.

Mirai frowned for a moment, how was this important?

"Yes, I have."

She replied quickly, before grabbing Skye at her shoulders and shaking her a little.

"How is Reyna, is she alright? Tell me she didn't..."

Again Mirai didn't dare to speak further, as if asking out loud would somehow change the answer.

"Hu? Reyna?"

Skye asked, the question only now proceeding into her brain, before she seemed to finally apprehend what she was being asked. Her eyes snapped open as realization struck.

"Oh my days!"

She squealed silently, a short flash lighting up her eyes with new life.

"She is alright!"

Skye exclaimed, before the light dimmed out again. Her voice returned to betray her utter exhaustion.

"Don't worry, she will be fine."

Skye whispered, taking in a deep breath before continuing.

"It was a close call, but she will survive."

She said, and apparently was even more relieved than fatigued; however that was possible. She felt bad for not keeping up, but the agent was so drained from her energy reserves, she couldn't think straight anymore. Hardly unexpected after performing surgery for 20 plus hours.

She was all the more surprised when she was yanked forward and into Mirai's strong embrace, the other woman pressing their bodies tightly together.

"Oh, thank you so much! Oh, you marvellous woman! You are the best!"

Mirai whispered, looking deeply into the eyes of Skye for but a moment. The Australian agent couldn't reply anything before the monk leaned in and kissed her hard on the mouth, lifting her up into the air in the process and whirling her around once.

When Mirai let go of Skye again, the poor medic was beet red in her face from all the blood that shot into her cheeks. Her heart was hamming wildly against her chest and Skye was too tired to start rationalizing her body's response to the sudden unexpected intimacy.

Mirai didn't even seem to realize what she just did as she continued like nothing happened.

"I want to see her!"

Skye blinked, nervously rubbing the back of her neck while trying to re-discover her ability of coherent speech. She awkwardly cleared her throat, averting her emerald-green eyes to escape Mirai's gaze.

"Tomorrow. She is still knocked out. Raze is working on the more... metaphysical problems"

"When?"

"Just come to my room tomorrow morning, mate. You'll be the first to see her, promised."

Skye said, the blush on her cheeks rapidly vanishing again. She was done for. Standing in the operating stand for as long as she did took its toll on her.

Mirai seemed to think about that for a moment, but smiled ever so faintly.

"Yes If you say that's best."

She replied and Skye only nodded.

"If you don't mind"

She was interrupted by a heavy yawn

"I'd like to go to bed now. I can tell you everything tomorrow, once I slept."

Skye said, turning to leave and proceeding to more stagger than walk down the corridor. The medic needed rest, so much was obvious.

"I will walk you to your room"

Mirai decided and put an arm around Skye, who was actually having problems to walk on her own without stumbling. After the third time of her almost falling, The Healer rolled her eyes and effortlessly scooped the doctor up in her arms, carrying her bridal style.

"I can walk."

Skye mumbled tiredly, but didn't resist being carried at all. Her legs were hurting and felt like they might just rot off her body, she was struggling to keep her eyelids open and felt like falling into a coma any moment now. She knew that she couldn't walk anymore.

"You can't. You can barely stand. Now shut up, I won't murder you in your sleep."

Mirai replied with a smirk while Skye's head slowly sunk on the Monk's cool shoulder, the medic's consciousness slowly slipping. There was only the slow rhythmic sound of Mirai's heels on the cold concrete floor, only her scent of fresh ocean water in Skye's nose and an air of unwavering confidence and determination radiating off the senior agent.

But also beautiful. Caring toward those who Mirai seemed to consider her family. It was a strange moment of clarity for Skye amid her gruelling exhaustion. Of course Mirai wouldn't kill her in her sleep, Skyeknew.

She whispered something, not particularly aware that she voiced that thought and neither that The Healer noticed. But she did. And it made the monk genuinely smile. Mirai looked down on the medic, but she was already fast asleep in her arms.

First of all, Mirai would tuck Skye in and see to it that she was comfortable. This wouldn't take long and then there would still be time to visit someone else.

For some... talking.

A spark of anger ignited The Healer's eyes and her pacing sped up.

\----------------------

Just as Skye had promised her, Mirai was allowed to see Reyna first thing in the morning. The much-feared yet admired agent showed up early, so early in fact that the medic herself wasn't even awake yet.

Hardly surprising, considering how long the poor medic had been performing surgery the day prior and how utterly exhausted she was. Mirai would know better than anyone, seeing how she was the one who had tucked a completely passed out Skye into bed, making sure she was comfortable.

So, it was hardly surprising for Mirai to find the infirmary void of the medic. She just shrugged to herself, when she noticed that the only person inside the infirmary, apart from the patients, of course, was one of her staff members. The nurse on duty had the common sense to not ask any questions or even try to stop Mirai from walking into the infirmary, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to Reyna's bed.

The woman wasn't suicidal after all.

A piercing stare from Mirai was all it took for the nurse to find a suddenly renewed interest in whatever papers she had been working on. Mirai had that kind of effect on most people when she was provoked. They stared at the gorgeous woman, be that because wherever the monk went she seemed to capture the room with her mere presence, or be that because of her specific reputation, or maybe a bit of both. But they hastily averted their eyes when Sage caught them staring. It was one of the things she didn't like at all. The nasty glances Mirai was able to throw at someone made people shiver and were probably capable of inflicting actual physical harm.

It felt relieving when the nurse left the infirmary and Mirai was happy she could sit next to Reyna's bed in peace. She wouldn't have enjoyed it, if she had to explain herself to a lowly employee, someone who had no idea about anything and someone who was not worthy of even a moment of conversation.

The Healer sat in silence, watching the soft rays of the morning sun gently falling through the windows of the infirmary and dancing softly on Reyna's skin. Her lover was lying peacefully in the hospital bed, the snow-white blanket pulled up over her chest, her arms placed on top of the blanket to her sides. The silk sheets Reyna called her hairstyle was now chaotic, but it still had a certain charm. Mirai ran a hand through her lover's silky hair.

Reyna’s hospital gown was a world too small for the junoesque woman and so the soft fabric tightly hugged the skin around her neck, revealing her left collarbone. Some wires were running into the collar, vanishing underneath the piece of clothing. If not for the whole scenario, the hospital, the injuries and the fact that Mirai didn't actually share Reyna's bed, one could have almost thought that nothing was amiss.

Almost.

Mirai had often watched Reyna sleep. Deep in the night when the Healer couldn't find any rest. She would simply watch how Reyna slowly drew one gentle breath after the other, her dyed hair rolling under her shoulders, much like it was now. The only thing casting a faint light onto her lover was the bathroom light, shimmering through the halfway open door. Reyna always kept the light on in there during the night.

Reyna's face was peaceful when she slept, completely relaxed, without a care in the world.

If Mirai didn't know it better, she'd say that now was no different.

But it was, even though the difference was merely a tiny detail, easy to overlook. Mirai never missed the details. How her eyes were closed a little harder than usual, with barely visible wrinkles around her eyelids. Behind the thin skin her eyes were moving frantically, too. Reyna wasn't sleeping well.

For a second Mirai pondered if she should wake her lover, but decided against it. She was sure that Reyna needed the time to heal and not be faced with the problems reality presented. So, trying to comfort the only person the otherwise so reserved woman cared about, Mirai reached out and took Reyna's soft hand carefully into hers.

"Everything is going to be fine, darling"

She whispered softly, while stroking the back of the Vampire's hand ever so gently. Her features had lost all of their sharpness, the stern look Mirai wore for the time being. It was all gone. She didn't glare anymore, instead her eyes were large and shimmering, only focused on Reyna like the world around them didn't even exist. An expression reserved for Reyna and Reyna alone. Chances were no one else would ever get to see Mirai like this.

Someone clearing his throat rather loudly was what got the Healer's attention. Just like that, the peaceful, dreamy expression full of love and adoration gave way to the icy glare of a worried and angered lover. Within the blink of an eye the former vanished, replaced by the latter. She looked up from Reyna to see a jittery tanned woman standing in the middle of the infirmary, carefully adjusting her glasses.

"Excuse me. I didn't know you were visiting, El cerebro."

She stated carefully. Izzie was hit by a prime example of Mirai's one in a lifetime infamous death-glare. Her presence was not appreciated.

"I fail to see how it is your business."

She spat, her voice screaming fuck off, no matter the words she used.

"But if you must know, I have Skye's permission."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to imply you weren't allowed to visit."

Raze clarified politely. She had no intention of aggravating the anything but harmless monk. She had stayed put so far after the incident. Provoking her was not a wise choice. She wouldn't go as far as saying that she was scared of her, the sheer size of her explosives and rocket launcher, combined with the fact that she was a technitian, put her at an advantage when it came to one on one combat. No, scared would have been the wrong word. A healthy dose of respect for her abilities, that was a more fitting phrase. She simply preferred being on her good side than on her bad, for it made life both easier and possibly a lot longer, too.

"Good"

Mirai replied curtly.

"So, what is it you need?"

Izzie cleared her throat.

"Oh yes. Of course. I'm here to make sure Reyna's new implant is properly adjusted. Since you have been here longer than I have, maybe you can tell me if you have noticed Reyna flickering since you arrived?"

Mirai tilted her head ever so slightly.

"No"

She replied carefully, watching the explosive woman step closer to the bed and gently pull back the blanked covering Reyna. A soft purple light was shimmering through the thin green-ish fabric of the hospital gown right on Reyna's chest.

"And for how long have you been here?"

She asked, quickly glancing at the monk before turning his attention back to Reyna.

"Maybe two hours."

Mirai answered truthfully, her eyes fixed on Raze's actions.

"How is that important?"

"As I said, I need to make sure her augment is configured correctly. The device keeping her powers regulated as she has enough energy within her to switch off the sun. It just takes a while to calibrate."

Raze replied and with that she moved to unbutton the hospital gown Reyna was wearing.

Mirai's eyes narrowed and she jerked forward, grabbing one of Raze's fingers with the entirety of her hand and yanked it backwards with quite some force. The technician didn't even get the chance to open the first button.

"What do you think you are doing?!"

The Healer hissed with venom.

"Making sure she is alright"

Izzie replied, surprisingly calm even with her boisterous personality.

"There is no need to be upset, I am a technician. I need to make sure the solution I came up with yesterday works for now."

Mirai hesitated for a second, before she let go of Raze's finger.

"Fine. But I am watching closely."

Raze nodded, choosing not to comment on Mirai's strange behavior, while she opened the first three buttons on Reyna's gown. In doing so he revealed a minature underneath it. The soft lavender glow which had been shining through the fabric of the gown was emitted from a tall purple crystal in the middle of her chest. The crude device was harshly fixed to the skin by means of a few long clamps, digging deeply into her skin. It almost looked like a spider had dug its legs into Reyna's skin and tried to pull everything together. Mirai swallowed. Having that thing on her chest was surely not a pleasant feeling.

What was that? Reyna's new implant? Was this how she would look like from now on, even when naked? Fused with a horribly cold crystal?

"You are rather protective."

Raze stated, as she connected a short cable to the device on Reyna's chest. The other end of the cable was hooked up to a small tablet.

"Don't be ridiculous."

Mirai rolled her eyes.

"If I was unconscious, I wouldn't want anyone to unbutton my shirt and fumble around between my tits."

She snorted unceremoniously. Which was technically true. Yet not the reason why she had grabbed the woman's finger.

Raze actually chuckled a little.

"Fair enough, I guess."

"What is that horrid metal thing on her chest?"

Mirai finally asked, the curiosity getting the better of her.

"It's basically an energy inhibitor made out of a few flecks of Element 115. To put things short and sweet It's basically like dumping a sponge into an overfilled glass of water. It will suck up some of the excess energy but not all of it"

Skye came and checked on both of them, even brought a small tray of food for Mirai, but soon decided to give them space. Sage wasn't in a talkative mood, only giving sporadic one-word replies when she chose to reply at all. It was obvious that Sage was generally not really paying any attention to what Skye was saying. So, Skye decided to retreat back to her desk and keep an eye on the two from a distance.

Nothing changed.

The tray of food, a sandwich, an apple and a cup of coffee was left forgotten on the nightstand, untouched.

Reyna was still unconscious and Sage still held her hand, clasped into both of hers as if she tried to reassure her that she still was where she belonged. Sometimes Mirai would whisper something, sometimes she would hum a gentle melody. It was terribly sweet, seeing how the otherwise so reserved yet gentle monk behaved around Reyna when she thought that no one was around to see them. Sweet, but oh so sad.

It was so obvious how much Reyna's unconsciousness tortured Mirai. How she was able to be physically close, but at the same time so far away from her lover.

And then, it was almost like there was some kind of god hearing Mirai's silent pleas, Reyna regained her lost consciousness.

Though not in a way that Skye or Mirai would have liked.

Reyna shot up in her bed with a desperate scream, gasping for air, while frantically grabbing at the bed, the blanket, herself, anything that came in reach. She didn't notice Mirai's hand on her arm at first and started to hectically look around, eyes wide in panic.

"W-what...?"

She panted, cold sweat on her forehead, while Mirai quickly moved her lover toward her, pulling her out of the bed and into her lap, holding her tight.

"It's ok, love"

Mirai said, holding her lover close

"It was only a dream, everything is fine."

"Qué me pasó?"

Reyna cried, cringing heavily, curling up in Mirai's lap like she was about to vanish into thin air again.

"It's Thursday. You were only out for two days. Don't worry, you don't need to ask about what year it is. It's all good."

Sage said gently pulling Reyna into a tight hug again. The other woman clung to the cool body of her lover for dear life, her hands balled to fists, too scared she would hurt her by digging the nails into Mirai's back.

"I'm..."

Reyna whimpered, adjusting her vice-like grip on Mirai, as if she was about to dissolve into air again if she didn't hold on to her.

"...scared."

"Don't be, my love. It's all good, you're safe. Skye and Raze took care of it. You won't fade away again. I won't let you."

Mirai said with a voice so incredibly soft, it was difficult to imagine she was hissing at people just moments ago.

They held this pose for some moments until Reyna had calmed down bit by bit again.

Slowly, as if to test if she was really not going to vanish again, Reyna let go of Mirai and allowed herself to be placed back in the bed again, her hand, however, was still held tightly by her Chinese lover.

"Are you ok now?"

"I'm just tired."

Reyna forced a smile.

"Exhausted. But otherwise I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Don't worry.

Sage couldn't stand hearing that combination of these specific two words in that particular order anymore. Nothing good ever followed. Of course Mirai was worried, what was Reyna thinking? The former assassin had no idea what she did to her lover, who had been a total mess until the moment she heard from Skye that Reyna was going to be fine. It wasn't fair. It was so egoistical of her. It hurt Mirai probably more than they all knew.

But Reyna was oblivious to that.

"Mind filling me in on what exactly happened? Last thing I remember is me seeing handfuls of Gatling guns and getting riddled with bullets"

"Didn't I tell you to be careful, Reyna?"

Mirai suddenly cried out bitterly, completely ignoring the question. She wouldn't allow this to go unaddressed. She wouldn't let Reyna pretend that all was good.

"You have no idea how close you came to dying..."

She hiccupped.

"How close we were to losing you. Don't you dare go on like nothing happened again. Not like last time. Don't you dare..."

The Healer swallowed heavily.

"Don't you dare pretend it's no big deal. In the end, I'm always the one who as to patch you up again. And... And... think about me, too... I have been waiting for you all this time, and you almost didn't make it back. Do you have any idea what you did to me?"

Mirai was visibly upset.

A heavy silence spread in the infirmary, almost thick enough to grab it out of thin air.

The seconds passed like minutes and the guilt hanging in the air was so thick it was already tangible, until finally:

"Sorry..."

Reyna whispered with a small voice, turning her head away in shame.

"I'm so sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Camila Cabello - Consequences  
> James TW - When You Love Someone  
> Maroon 5 - Maps  
> gnash, Olivia O'Brien - i hate u, i love u


	16. Epoch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of NSFW
> 
> p.s: This chapter contains a lot of jumpcuts

**Central London, Overtly expensive hotel, Two Days Later**

She hated this.

She really did.

Vacation. What utter bullshit that was. Skye was too worried all the time. She didn't need vacation, she was perfectly fine. A little roughed up maybe from the surgery, but not in need of vacation. Skye took care of all the implants Kingdom inserted within her, she was fine. She had stayed in bed long enough at the base, there was no need for any more rest.

Especially now that Reyna disappeared into the depths of the base's hospital.

Deciding that it was finally time to eat something, Mirai dropped a torque spanner and a screwdriver into her toolbox and headed for the elevator. She hadn't eaten anything all day, after she had gotten up this morning, Mirai had gone straight to the garage in the basement, she had been in the mood for working on her long term project. Now, however, it was definitely time for something to eat. So, this was technically her breakfast, despite the time already indicating it was well past five. Better late than never.

As Mirai walked into her flat, she pulled off her shirt on the way to her cozy little kitchen and tossed the greasy piece of clothing over a chair. It would have to wait there for the next load of laundry. With only a plain black bra and a long grey sweatpant on, Sage leaned over the sink and washed her hands thoroughly. She had been tinkering on her long term project today and got dirty. As usual. Oil was a bitch, really, especially how it had that annoying tendency to get stuck underneath the fingernails and simply refused to ever crawl back out from there.

After deeming her fingers adequately clean, Sage grabbed a box of cereal and a carton of milk from the fridge. Why she kept the cereal in the fridge, Mirai had no idea anymore. It became a habit.

Pouring the cereal into a bowl, Mirai’s thoughts wandered.

Without Reyna around her days were simply... dull. Boring. Nothing seemed like it was worth the trouble anymore. It was crazy how fast Mirai got used to a working relationship again. Especially since the last one she had derailed in such a catastrophic manner, that Mirai actually thought she would never enter another one ever again. She didn't think she could ever deal with the heartbreak again.

Look how great that went. You fell in love with a vampiric Mexican assassin. What could possibly go wrong, right?

She snorted in annoyance while scratching her butt in a very unladylike manner. How wrong she had been. Now all Mirai could think of was how she just wanted her stupid vacation to be over and to go back to Haven. Or anywhere really, just as long as Reyna would be there. It was almost scary how fast the bronzed Mexican lady had been able to fill a hole in Mirai's heart. She missed her badly, her presence, her smell, her touch. She craved her. Now if only-

The doorbell ripped Mirai out of her reverie.

She jerked startled, spilling some of the cereal all over her kitchen counter. What a shit day.

Setting the box aside, Mirai headed for the door and opened it, expecting it to be Ms. Richards, one of her neighbors. The elderly lady was very nice, but tended to have a problem with today's technology. Mirai had actually repaired the woman's toaster when she had been home the last time.

A shimmering black head was the first thing Mirai saw.

That distinctive color and implants could have only been one person's, and it wasn't Ms. Richards.

"Am I interrupting something, milady?"

Cypher said, giggling softly.

"Or is it too hot for you?"

Mirai's confusion turned into a beaming smile. "Ha. Ha. Aamir. Funny. What'cha doing here? I thought you were busy recovering back at base."

"I was but Sova and I thought we could use a bit of a break. He is waiting downstairs."

"Eh? You left him outside? Cypher, he's not a dog!"

Mirai laughed.

"Go get him and come in!"

She said, gesturing toward the staircase. Cypher, however, shook his head.

"Actually, I just came to drop something off."

Aamir smiled. In the same moment, someone walked forth from behind the wall of the hallway. Since Mirai hadn't actually left her apartment, she had no way of seeing the person hiding there.

She was wearing a long black coat, buttoned up all the way to her neck with the collar standing up. Her skin was glimmering from make-up and her hair was pulled into an extremely tight topknot, but no matter what disguise, Mirai would recognize her anywhere, anytime. She'd know those purple eyes without a doubt.

"Have fun you two."

Cypher said as he turned around and walked back down the staircase, his shoes clicking on the wooden steps slowly fading.

"Sooo"

The Vampire hummed.

"Are you going to ask me inside?"

She didn't get an answer. Mirai reached out, grabbed the collar of Reyna's coat and pulled her forward. Their lips crashed together and Sage hungrily claimed the Vampire's mouth in a wave of heated passion. Her tongue demanded entrance and soon enough it was fighting for dominance with the cool counterpart. Kissing Reyna never lost its excitement. It was like freefalling, disconnected from reality, like the real world around them just stopped existing. Time raced and still stood still simultaneously. Aware of her own pounding heart in her chest, Mirai pulled Reyna closer, her arms finding their way into her lover's coat and under her shirt. Hot hands met cool skin and Reyna shivered.

Breaking away from the mind-blowing kiss, Reyna smirked at Mirai.

"Why hello. I missed you too, cariño"

"Shut up and come in already."

Mirai moaned and pulled her lover inside, kicking the door shut.

"Damn I missed you. You"

She kissed her.

"Have"

Another kiss.

"No"

Another one filled with passion burning brightly.

"Idea."

Reyna found herself pressed against the wall in Sage's vestibule, while the ex-celibacy bound Valorant agent kissed down her neckline with glazed, lusty eyes. Oh, she didn't mind that kind of aggressiveness one bit. Reaching down and grabbing Mirai on her butt, Reyna lifted the smaller woman up and turned them around, now pressing Sage against the very same spot. Two can play that game.

"You want me to do you right here, or do you think we can make it to your bed?"

Reyna purred into Mirai's ear, her voice dripping with sexual need.

"Why not both?"

Mirai hummed, attacking a particularly sensitive spot on Reyna's neck.

"Too much clothes"

She added, tucking on Reyna's coat.

The annoying piece of clothing soon gone and Reyna's dark blouse unbuttoned, Mirai was delighted to find out that her lover still wasn't overly fond of underwear. Her hand wandered down her lover's side, tracing her cold skin ever so gently. She rested her hand on Reyna's hip for a moment, playing with the hem of her grey pencil skirt, her other hand grabbing at the back of her girlfriend while they kissed passionately.

Mirai's bra was long gone and Reyna was busy teasing the revealed flesh underneath as Mirai slid her hand over Reyna's skirt, hooked her thumb into the lower hem, and pulled the fabric upward. In doing so, she revealed an elaborate black lacy garter belt holding a pair of elegant silken stockings of the same color. And that was everything. Searching for any panties would have been futile.

"You naughty vixen"

Mirai whispered as she nibbled on Reyna's earlobe while her hand was teasingly stroking the impossibly soft flesh on her lover's thighs, deliberately avoiding touching her anywhere else. So close and yet so far.

"You love it"

Reyna moaned, the hot sensation of Sage's fingers on her thighs and the joints on the inside of her hips was driving her crazy. Her lower body was starting to prickle with anticipation and need, but the relieving touch didn't happen. There would be lots of teasing tonight it seemed.

"Mhhh... I do"

Mirai replied, her hand drawing circles around Reyna's most private parts, but still not touching it. It was driving Reyna insane and she tried to grind her hips against Mirai's hand. The hand was gone the moment Reyna tried to push herself against Sage.

"Uh. Uh."

Mirai hummed with an evil smirk and Reyna could only groan in frustration. She decided to change her approach.

With a quick yank Mirai's sweatpants and panties were ripped down and exposed her completely. A cool finger slid down from Sage's neck, in between her breasts and down over her belly button. For a second Reyna wondered how Sage was keeping up with her, she recently came out of surgery. Then again, all that mattered was, that Sage was here.

Anything else was for later. Reyna took her time, slowly moving her finger up and down, teasingly circling around Mirai's breasts too, but not touching the more sensitive parts.

"You should know better than to tease me like that, cariño"

Reyna purred, her voice filled with that ridiculously sexy Mexican accent.

She got a toothy grin from Mirai as a reply.

"I want you, Reyna."

She whispered.

Reyna didn't need to be told twice. Their bodies crashed together against the wall, a playful struggle for who would get to push whom against it, hands exploring their bodies, knowing full well how to drive the other to the brink of insanity. It was all one big haze of kisses, moans, touching, and stumbling somewhere else.

They had no idea how they suddenly ended up in Mirai's messy sheets and frankly they didn't care for even one second. Mirai was in the process of kissing a trail of burning, passionate kisses down Reyna's body, letting the older woman shiver each time her lips sucked on her cool flesh, or her tongue licked over her skin, leaving a warm, shimmering trail.

Mirai, mierda!"

Reyna cried in bliss as Sage kissed and nibbled on the soft flesh of her lover's inner thighs again, moving closer and closer to a glistening and obviously well-aroused part of her body. The Vampire's hands were buried in Mirai's unruly hair and directed her girlfriend towards the place she wanted her to kiss. It didn't help a lot, Mirai took her sweet time, stroking Reyna's shivering body and kissing so incredibly close to the real deal. Closer. Closer. Reyna could feel Mirai's hot breath against her wet place. It was almost enough to send another shiver of pleasure through her body. And then, when she was so sensitive that even a sharp breath felt like overstimulation, Mirai finally decided that now was the right time to devote attention to the most sensitive area on the Assassin's body. Gently at first, but quickly becoming more aggressive, savouring Reyna's unique taste while Mirai kissed, sucked and licked.

The moans of ecstasy filling the air was nothing short of music in Mirai's ear, as she continued her ministrations. Reyna couldn't help but let go of Mirai's hair with one hand and grab at the sheets, trying her best to hold on to something, anything really, while Mirai continued to rock her world.

There was only one thing left on her mind and that was Mirai Kimur. Everything else was forgotten.

This was wonderful.

It was freeing.

Perfect.

**\--------------------------**

**Central London, The Next Morning**

The all consuming darkness slowly begun to fade and gave way to shimmering, soft light. A cool yet soft cocoon was wrapped around her naked body, the velvet fabric brushing tenderly against her cold skin. The peaceful tranquility in her mind was more and more pushed out of her mind, the quiet, but noticeable sounds of reality penetrating her ears. Reyna blinked and stretched her body, some of her joints creaked. It has been a while since she had woken up this comfortable and this gentle. Sighing deeply, her arm slid over to her lover's side of the bed, seeking to snuggle up against her, yet where she anticipated her own source of warmth and comfort, the bed was both cold and vacant.

Not what she expected.

Slowly sitting up in the bed, the blanket sliding off her naked body, Reyna looked about the room. Indeed, there was no Mirai to be found inside the cozy small bedroom in her girlfriend's apartment. It was also way too quiet for Sage to be anywhere in the apartment. No trace of her was to be found. However, what Reyna did find was a small note left on the nightstand together with a beautiful red rose in a small vase. The dark red petals were almost glowing in the soft orange morning light shimmering through the closed window of the bedroom. The rays of sunlight were reflecting in small grains of dust floating slowly through the air, as if they were almost frozen in time.

Unable to not smile ever so faintly, Reyna reached for both the flower and the letter, smelling on the former while unfolding the latter. After inhaling the sweet scent of the rose and putting it back into the vase, The Vampire brought her attention to the note. It was written in Mirai's handwriting and didn't say a lot.

Good morning Caramel,

You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't have the heart to wake you up. Thought I let you sleep in.

Come and find me in the garage when you get up :)

I love you,

Mirai

P.S. Have I told you how adorably cute you look when you sleep? I could watch you for hours and I'm definitely not being creepy, ok?

Reyna snorted a little when she read the last line. She wasn't cute and she wished that Mirai would stop calling her that. Or at least she pretended to wish that, deep inside she had to admit that it made her feel appreciated, wanted and desired whenever Mirai called her cute. It was something about the way Mirai pronounced the word, she always made it sound... hot.

Deciding to go and search for the garage, Reyna got up, grabbed one of Mirai's old military shirts and a pair of sweatpants lying around and put them on. The shirt was a little difficult to get in because it was obviously too small. It hugged Reyna's curves very tightly and left her belly mostly exposed, but the assassin didn't really care. Neither did she care to fix her hair beyond some quick disentangling with her fingers, while she walked past the mirror in Mirai's vestibule.

She would obviously be going for the bed-hair look today. Or better, for the sex-bed look, taking the line of huge deep purple hickeys and badly bruised skin down her neck into consideration.

Reyna traced one of her fingers down the markings and smiled. She would wear Mirai's love bites with pride. Besides, it wasn't like her bubbly lover would look any better.. Oh, quite the contrary in fact with all the sucking, nibbling and biting Reyna did the past night.

With her looks checked and defined as not in need of change in that moment, Reyna strode toward the door confidently, pulled it open and stepped out into the staircase. It was only when the door behind her fell into the lock that she realized two things.

Where the fuck was the garage?

She had no key. Hopefully Mirai had brought hers.

The Vampire frowned slightly, deciding that she can't really change the key problem anymore and that the location of the garage could not be that hard to figure out. It must have been somewhere in the basement after all. So, Reyna headed for the elevator, not particularly keen on walking down all those stairs. She pressed the lowest button on the panel inside the elevator and waited for the doors to close, the metal box to move and the doors to open again.

To her surprise The Vampire didn't find herself in the basement, but instead at a very bright and friendly, yet ancient entry hall at ground level. The staircase ended right next to the elevator and didn't go further down either. Reyna looked around a little but didn't discover any indicators of where that damn garage might be.

Irritation spread across her beautiful features.

She hated not knowing what to do or where to go. She should have looked up the blueprints of this building before even going near it, like she always did. Memorizing where emergency exits were, where the main corridors led, which secret routes were available and where they were located had saved her ass on more than one occasion and did come in very handy more often than not. Knowing all the useful things about where she went had always been part of her preparations. Why didn't she do it this time? The last time she had been here it was on a whim and she had actually used her hook to pull herself onto Mirai's balcony. Leaving was done in even more a hurry. Back then Reyna didn't have the time to look up the layout of the building. God, she was getting sloppy. And the look on Sova's face when she asked about the layout of Mirai’s home screamed Are you bloody mental? So loud that Reyna decided to not ask again. She should have insisted, for she felt like a confused chicken, running around aimlessly.

After walking around in the lobby for a while, making no progress in locating the garage or even the way there, Reyna was anything but happy about the recent development the last few minutes.

That was until the front door, featuring lots of frosted glass, opened and an old lady stepped inside with slow steps. An old lady, that was probably a slight understatement. The woman was ancient. Like, really. Reyna actually paused for a moment and stared, someone this old should not be able to walk anymore. Or breathe. Her dry, wrinkly skin was grey and her colorless eyes had sunk into her skull to a point where they were hardly visible anymore. She had short, ashen hair and was walking in a humped and very careful manner. Carrying a bag of groceries, the old-timer moved toward the staircase. Reyna actually rose an eyebrow at that. The woman would at least take half an hour to even reach first floor. But whatever, not her problem. Better use that opportunity.

"Excuse me?"

Reyna said and tried her best to sound friendly. Mirai had told her over and over again that it wasn't a good way to sound like she was about to murder everyone in the room in their sleep while talking to someone. At that time The Vampire decided she was better off not telling Mirai that she didn't only sound like that.

"Mhh, yes dear? Sorry, I didn't see you standing there,"

The old woman croaked, carefully turning around on the stairs. She was standing two stairs up already and could barely look Reyna in the eyes.

"Can I help you somehow? You do look a little lost if I may say so."

The woman laughed silently.

For a moment, Reyna was taken aback. There she stood, in this sun-bathed foyer, wearing a much too small t-shirt and being distinctively riddled with reddened stitched wounds and most of her flat, well-toned stomach on display. Yet, the older woman didn't seem to care at all. That or she was really blind. Reyna cleared her throat, reminding herself that she was supposed to reply something.

"Ah, yes, actually, I'm searching the garage."

"And what do you need the garage for, mhh?"

The woman asked and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Reyna only glared at the old-timer with murderous intent, a pang of violence threatening to overcome her.

Don't strangle her. Don't strangle her. Don't strangle her. It would mean trouble for Mirai. Don't do it.

Taking a deep breath to not fall back into her old habit of brutal murder, she replied

"Mirai said to meet her there, but she forgot to tell me where it is."

Reyna supposed that the people living in the same building would know each other. Maybe that would be enough to convince the damn woman that Reyna was allowed to be here and finally tell her where that damn garage was.

"Ohhh!"

The old hag smiled and her small eyes lit up with excitement.

"You must be Mirai’s new girlfriend then!"

She exclaimed happily, taking a good look at Reyna.

"Ah yes, I see. Yes, yes. She really needed someone in her life again, ever since that last girl. She was no good. I always told her, no good."

Slowly, obviously straining herself with every move, the grandma moved down from the stairs again and pointed at Reyna in an almost accusing manner.

"You be nice to Mirai, you hear me young lady? She is a good woman and deserves to be treated well. Always helps when she can, is always there."

The nameless woman nodded and The Vampire narrowed her eyes slightly, not liking how she was being talked to at all.

"She fixed my toaster, you know?"

"The toaster. Maravillosa."

Reyna huffed, sarcasm dripping from her lips, while she balled her hands into fists.

"The garage. Where is it?"

She pressed.

"Oh yes, of course. I almost forgot. See, if you are 104 years old, your memory won't be the best either."

"I don't plan to live that long."

Reyna said plainly, albeit too quiet for the grandma to pick up. Instead, Reyna just gave her an urging look, fighting back the urge to slam the helpless pensioner into the wall for being so damn slow.

"You just walk down the corridor and turn left. There is a white door. Doesn't look like much. Down the stairs and twice left, and you're there. Mirai's parker is probably the one with loud music playing."

"Gracias."

Reyna said curtly and turned to leave.

"Say, my dear, would you mind terribly to help me with those bags?"

The grandma asked, and Reyna swung around with a murderous expression on her face. It had been much easier when she just threatened people with a slow and painful death to get what she wanted and right now that seemed like a viable option again.

"Fine, abuelita"

**\----------------------------------**

With the radio playing some truly old rock songs at maximum volume and of course with her head and most of her lean body stuck under a 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback, Mirai didn't hear the door into her small garage opening and someone coming in. She was too focused on her project car anyway.

A more than a hundred-year-old car and Mirai would make it work again. So far Mirai had spent many hours of her scarce free time rebuilding that timeless beauty and she was absolutely aware that there would be many more of those hours to come. But one day, her pony car would roll again. So far, most the technical things were running again, she was only waiting for retro break disks since those were really hard to come by these days. Other than that, the Mustang was theoretically drivable again. Something that couldn't be said when she found the poor thing rusting away behind one of the hangars in her old military days. She just had to rescue this beauty. Her father had a tiny model of this metal beauty on his desk. That might have played a part in her decision.

Mirai only noticed that she wasn't alone anymore when someone suddenly turned the volume of the radio down.

"Sorry, was the music too loud?"

Sage called from underneath the car, but didn't get a reply. Frowning curiously, Mirai pulled herself out from underneath the machine, rubbing her sweaty face on the sleeve of her shirt.

"What are you doing, cariño?"

Reyna asked, standing in the middle of the garage with her arms crossed behind her back. She gave the car an incredulous look and then eyed Sage while she walked over to her. There was oil and grease all over the Chinese.

"What, no good morning kiss?"

Mirai laughed and leaned into her girlfriend, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Slept well. Caramel?"

"Mhh, the bed was cold when I woke up. Apparently, my girlfriend has to do someone more important than me."

Reyna quipped dryly, raising an eyebrow.

"What's her name?"

"Aww, sorry Caramel. This little rust bucket here is Eleanor. She has some issues you know. Needs help and all."

Mirai giggled and pulled her lover closer, but Reynacrossed her arms over her chest.

"You are all dirty"

She said turning her face away. Mirai's grip around her loosened and the smaller woman looked almost a little hurt.

"You mind?"

She asked with a small voice which immediately hit Reyna with the hammer of guilt. She had only been teasing Sage. Quickly focusing her whole attention on Mirai, The Vampire wrapped her arms around the other woman and pressed her against the frame of the car, kissing her deeply.

"Of course not"

She purred

"You know I like it... dirty"

Mirai only gasped in surprise, but didn't hesitate to return the kiss with fire until Reyna pulled away with a very smug expression on her face.

"You know, it wouldn't have been so bad if you actually told me where that stupid garage was. I had to ask an old hag living here."

"Oh? Ms. Richards?"

Mirai asked with a slight frown.

"Sorry, I hope she wasn't awkward."

"She wanted me to carry her groceries."

Reyna snorted.

"What does she take me for? Some kind of errand girl?"

"Did you help her?"

Mirai asked carefully, acutely aware that Reyna's loyalties were very specific. She knew that, no matter how much Sage wished it wouldn't be this way, Reyna would still have absolutely zero problems with resorting to violence when she felt it would get her where she wanted to be.

Reyna looked past Mirai for a moment "Si" she replied almost inaudible, shaking her head. Mirai felt herself let go of a breath she didn't realize she was even holding. Reyna put some distance between them and suddenly the mood shifted.

"Wait, did you think I would have done something to her?"

Reyna asked, an unreadable expression on her face. Somehow that question hurt Mira more than she thought. She should be the one who trusted Reyna unconditionally. And she did, it was just that... well, Mirai knew that no matter how sweet and caring Reyna was toward her, The infamous Vampire was still very much a ruthless killer. It would have been a grave mistake to ever forget that.

"Would you?"

Mirai asked.

"Please, cariño. She was an old woman."

Reyna replied, now fully turning away from Mirai, inspecting the many tools on a small workbench which was pushed against the wall opposite to the Mustang.

"That's not an answer."

Mirai sighed, reaching for Reyna's hand but the other woman pulled it away.

"You don't want an answer."

Reyna said coolly, not facing Mirai.

"I do."

Sage whispered.

"Really?"

Reyna replied with an equally silent voice. Sage had no idea. She didn't know what was going on inside her head. About her reasons. Why? Why? Once she lived for murder and violence. But now? Her entire reason to go on was a young Chinese woman, an annoyance sometimes. But The Vampire knew she wouldn't be able to even draw another breath without that annoyance around.

"Really?"

She asked again, louder this time, while turning around.

"Mirai, have you got any idea of how much you mean to me?"

She asked bitterly.

"Do you have a remote concept of what you did for me, how much I owe you? My whole sense of self, my entire being, is all thanks to you. Each breath I take, I take for you, in each waking moment of my life I think about you, and I never put you second. Because you are, quite literally, the light that keeps me going. And I don't mean that as some kind of metaphorical bullshit, you literally are. I love you so much, cariño it's scaring me. I was never supposed to feel anything and yet for you, I do. With you I can be. But it's all only for you. I'd do anything for you, my love, no matter what. When you were captured by Kingdom, that light inside me, it was gone. There was only cold and bitterness left. I went and talked to Brimstone. Almost lost my patience and killed him. I would have done it. I would have killed that old woman if she was a threat to you, I wouldn't have even thought twice about it. I would kill that annoying Korean friend of yours. I would even kill Sova if he'd betray you and I actually like him. I would kill anyone who dares to treat you badly. I wouldn't care for even a moment if the whole world would go down in a fiery blaze if it would mean you are saved."

Reyna's voice had deteriorated into a stammering mess as she started crying violently while she tried to speak.

"The truth is, Mirai, if you'd give me a gun and told me to shoot myself, I wouldn't even ask why."

The silence spreading in the garage was deafening. Sage just stood there and could only watch while Mirai fell apart and there was nothing Mirai could do against it. Nothing. She felt helpless and powerless and had trouble sorting her thoughts in a coherent manner. She didn't even know where to start.

"Reyna?"

Mirai's face was wet with silent tears, her heart tearing apart with every word her lover spoke.

"I know that this isn't normal. I know that. But I just cannot fucking help it, you hear me? It's just how I am. You fell in love with a murderer, an assassin! A monster! You idiot, why are you here? Why did you ever come after me? You should have run away like any other sensible person would have done! Go find someone normal."

"Reyna?"

Mirai repeated and got Reyna’s attention this time.

"What?"

She half spat, half cried, her eyes betraying just how much pain Reyna truly felt. How much confusion, anger and... yes, there was fear, lots of it, whirled behind those stern purple eyes.

Sage leaned forward and captured Reyna's lips with hers.

"I love you, Caramel. And nothing you say or do will ever change that. Everything will be alright eventually. I love you."

To Mirai's horror Reyna pushed her away.

"You shouldn't! I just told you... You're a fool!"

"Then a fool is what I am."

Mirai replied, once again stepping closer to her distraught girlfriend.

"No!"

Reyna stammered, weakly trying to fend off Mirai who was still getting closer to her.

"Y-You can't! I can't... What if I ever hurt you? What if I lose it?"

She didn't know what to think anymore. Her mind was a proper mess by now, one thought rolling over the other. Reyna could only stumble backwards until her back hit the cool stone wall, her hands grabbing hectically at her own arms.

"Please..."

It was barely a whisper, drowning in icy tears.

"You won't."

Mirai said and reached out to take Reyna's hands into her own. They were shaking badly and so Mirai began to draw soothing circles on them, her warm fingers caressing the cold skin.

"Reyna look at me."

She said with an almost commanding voice.

Bright lavender eyes snapped up and fixed themselves on Mirai's.

"I know you will not hurt me. I know it."

Mirai said seriously, looking her girlfriend deep in the eyes.

"You said it yourself, that I'm imporant to you. I know you won't hurt me more than I can take."

"B-But..."

Reyna started again, but was stopped by Mirai who again made it past what little defense Reyna had put up

"Hush"

Mirai whispered and pressed her lips softly against Reyna's.

"I love you, ok? Forever."

"Why?"

"You always ask that. I don't know and I don't care either. I just do. Reyna, you and I knew that this wouldn't be easy. Things will get better with time, I promise. See where we had been a few months ago and where we're now. We can do this. Sharing your fears with me is important, you know? I just wished I had known how much you suffered because of this, we could have done something about it."

"How can you say this? How can you be this sure?"

"Because I trust you-"

"You shouldn't!"

Reyna shrieked, trying to push Mirai away once again, but to no avail this time.

"It's not... you don't..."

She tried to explain, but the words didn't come out anymore. Mirai was too close. She was too sure of what she said and no matter how scared Reyna had been, how ashamed she was because of what she did and of what she would have to do again, it all started to fade. Maybe there was hope after all?

"I trust you, ok? And that's not a mistake"

"How do you know?"

Reyna asked.

"Well, Caramel, so far I was pretty good at getting in there."

Mirai gently stroked over Reyna's head, the taller woman just let it sink onto Mirai's shoulder, while holding onto her. For someone whose feelings had been reduced to zero since their childhood, Reyna had begun to feel quite a lot. Love. Anger. Sadness. The fear of losing Mirai. Sometimes she wasn't sure what she liked better.

Sage only felt the grip on her tighten as a response and knew that she had to show her girlfriend that life was nothing to be afraid of. That it could be beautiful, fun and full of possibilities. It wasn't just darkness and pain. Not anymore.

"What do you say, we go upstairs, grab a hot, long shower, then we order some breakfast, eat and then we snuggle in bed for the rest of the day. And if you feel up for it, we can go out in the evening. I'm dying to show off my absolutely gorgeous girlfriend."

"Mhm."

Reyba mumbled.

"Sure you want to go out?"

"We'll see how we feel then. Let's start at the beginning, ok?"

"Shower and breakfast do sound good."

Reyna sniffled, lifting her head from the crook of Mirai's neck, where she had buried it before. She stared at Sage for a moment and opened her mouth to apologize, but before the first word could leave her lips, there was a finger placed on them.

"Shh. It's ok. Come on now, let's see what we want for breakfast before we have that shower."

**\---------------------------**

**A Nearby Pub, Central London, 10:21 AM**

The plan for the day had turned out the exact way Mirai had intended. They had grabbed a long, hot and very emotional shower full of gentle caresses and soft reassurances. The steaming hot water washing away their tears, both old and new, and wrapped them in a liquid cocoon of warmth and safety. After a quiet and delicious English breakfast, they had spent the rest of the day cuddling in bed, not talking about much, just holding each other. Once, Reyna spoke about her fears of being left alone without Mirai, with the freezing cold in her heart and no one there to thaw it. She also told Sage that she'd be coming along for missions now. Mirai listened mostly, reassuring her lover that she didn't intend to go anywhere anytime soon.

And now they were in the Pink Pitcher. On what was their second proper date. Their first was in Bhutan, when they were shopping for clothes. 

Reyna had agreed on going out, not only because she wanted to make Mirai happy, but also because she wanted to prove to herself that she was capable of living an at least somewhat normal life.

Dirk, the bartender of the Pitcher, was very pleased to see Mirai with her new girlfriend, who was wearing the same dark grey outfit from the day before. She had contacts to get rid of her exotic eyes, but despite the disguise, Reyna turned quite a few heads. Even with half a ton of powder and crèmes in her face she was still a breathtakingly beautiful woman.

"So"

Dirk started, smirking as he poured Mirai her second Whisky of the evening. Reyna stuck to her first glass of red wine. She was very careful with alcohol, as Skye told her that it might have very negative effects on her modified implant. She didn't want to risk anything. Mirai didn't like that smile on the huge bartender's face one bit. Not even a little.

"When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?"

"Dirk!"

Mirai hissed.

"What? Just look at her."

He gestured toward Reyna with a warm smile. He had taken an immediate liking to the Mexican lady the moment they had met. So far Reyna at least didn't seem to outright detest the man, so good progress there.

"She is probably the best thing that happened in your life so far, even for your high standards, right? I'm just saying, ok? Someone so beautiful surely has a lot of suitors, right? And let's be real here, Mirai, she is even out of your league, ok?"

"Dirk..."

Mirai repeated.

"I mean, no offense lady, but are you sure you want to be with that no good piece of work here?"

He asked Reyna.

"I mean, she isn't exactly a woman who has settled down or something."

"Oh, I'm quite aware."

Reyna replied with a cold smile, sipping on her wine.

"Dirk!"

Mirai grumbled another time.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, I just thought it would be fair to warn you that Reyna is probably going to smash your head in with the mushy end of your ripped out leg if you speak another word."

She said with an easy smile on her lips, but regretted saying what she did the moment the words had left her loose mouth. It wasn't right to joke about that already, was it?

"Oh, I quite disagree"

Reyna hummed, she had crossed her legs over each other, one now teasingly running up and down the side of Sage's shin.

"Actually, I have to concur with Dirk here."

Sage's mouth fell open for a moment as she looked back and forth between the barkeeper and her girlfriend.

Is she serious? That smile...

"Ok, ok, I will definitely ask you to marry me when the time is right, ok?"

Mirai threw her hands up in defeat. Not because she didn't want to marry Reyna one day, but because Dirk forced her to say it now, ruining the eventual surprise.

"Oh, I actually meant the part of me being way out of your league"

Reyna winked.

"But good to know"

She said and slipped off her chair, excusing herself, saying she would need to touch up her make-up.

Dirk laughed heartily, watching the drop-dead gorgeous woman Mirai had somehow convinced to be her girlfriend walk away toward the ladies' rooms. Mirai just let her head sink onto the counter.

"I hate you, Dirk"

She muttered.

"Really?"

"No."

Mirai lifted her head off the counter again and started to tell Dirk a little more about Reyna, how they got to know each other and how they got together. Of course, she had to leave out a lot of details and sometimes outright lie, but she kept it simple enough to be considered a general story of how they got together. That was until someone slipped onto the bar-stool Reyna had been occupying.

"Mirai?"

A soft female voice asked. One that Sage knew all too well. She turned left, praying to all the gods and their mums to listen to her and make it so this was not who she thought it was.

The bright platinum flat mohawk hair told her otherwise. The gods weren't listening. And neither were their mums.

"Crusader."

Mirai's voice was icy at best. If she had never seen that woman again, it would have been too soon. In fact, she didn't want to see her so much, that she had forced herself to forget that Crusader ever existed. Mirai never considered her when she thought about her ex-girlfriends, she never considered her when she thought about the women she had slept with. To her, Crusader simply never existed in the first place. She just wanted to forget that she had ever been a part of her life. With good reason. Anyways it was against protocol to even talk to disgraced members of Valorant especially one with the reputation of turning against her entire team.

"I thought I would find you here."

Crusader replied warmly, letting her eyes run over Mirai once, taking in her outfit. The skintight black jeans she wore had some artificial holes in it and she wore a sleeveless grey top, showing a decent amount of cleavage. Simply because Reyna liked it. She also wore a small brown leather bracelet.

"How have you been? You look good."

Crusader said, adjusting her posture on the barstool, trying to look flirty. It probably would have worked on most people. But not on Sage.

"Mhm."

Mirai murmured, not gracing the blonde with a more detailed answer. Instead she reached for her whisky and took a big swig. At the back of her head a little voice, which curiously sounded an awful lot like Reyna, whispered that she should simply grab Crusader by her neck and smash her head against the counter. Repeatedly. Really, she had the sudden urge to get rat arsed tonight, while she pondered if she would or should suddenly forget how to move off her chair, should Reyna come back and actually decide to turn Crusader into red gooey pulp. She had to actually smirk a little at the thought.

Unfortunately, a certain blonde mistook that small smirk as a sign that Mirai was simply playing hard to get.

She wasn't.

Crusader reached out for Mirai's hand, but it was quickly pulled away. Hesitating for a moment, the blonde decided to go on.

"Listen, I wanted to talk to you."

"What makes you think I would want to talk to you, eh? I'd rather you'd just piss off."

Mirai spat and Crusader looked hurt for a moment, but quickly composed herself.

"Alright, you have every right to be angry at me. What I did was wrong, and I-"

"Oh, what you did was wrong? Really now?"

Sarcasm in its purest form left Mirai's mouth. Some might have argued that Sage wasn't capable of something like a snarl, but oh boy she was.

"And what exactly do you mean? The part where you fed me lies about how your parents kicked you out because you're gay and how you struggled to maintain a living? Or the part where you kept asking me out on dates, not because you liked me, but only so you could get close to your target? Or the part where pretended to love me, even though you felt nothing for me? The part where you pretended to want a family with me? Vulnerable little Crusader, so alone, so misunderstood. God, and I believed you, while you fed me all the bullshit I wanted to hear so badly! I even introduced you to Jett, and we celebrated Christmas together!"

Mirai hissed through her teeth, the pain she had felt when all that happened had turned into anger, before it dissolved into nothing a long time ago. Right now, she was back at the 'angry' stage. Curiously, she was angrier about her ruined evening than she was about the pain Crusader had caused her years ago.

She leaned forward toward Crusader after taking another swig of her whisky. "Or was it maybe more the part where you finally had everything you needed and got to steal our stupid data for your stupid company before you shot me down like I meant nothing to you? Was that it? Oh, right, of course I meant nothing to you. You had a boyfriend the entire time. I'm kinda confused what exactly you are referring to when you say you did something wrong."

Crusader averted her gaze, deeply ashamed. It was all true. She had done all of that and getting it served to her like that felt anything but good. She had worked for a clandestine corporate organization, right after she got out of college. It was her luck that she even got the job in the first place, but Crusader was absolutely set on making the most of it. She had always wanted to become a soldier, even when she was young and Crusader was determined to make a name for herself. She was a career-oriented woman with high ambitions. Being young and wanting to establish herself, she would have done anything to deliver. So, she found out about Mirai Kimur. Living in London. Being a lesbian. Crusader created a persona that Sage would find irresistible. One of the things Crusader did even better than fight was acting. So, she acted her role around Sage, used her charms and her knowledge about her target shamelessly, got to know Sage, and pretended to fall in love with her. She took her sweet time, didn't rush all the small steps that lead to their relationship. She gave Sage the feeling of being in control of it all, earned her trust and soon enough her heart. Crusader slowly got to know Mirai's friends, like Jett while she gathered all the material she needed. She even became a part of Valorant until one particular friendly fire incident.

It was all an act.

When Crusader had all the material she needed was done with the research, she wrote a horrible article about the secret company known as Valorant. It went into great depth how their agents were wrecks, how Mirai was too stupid to realize that Valorant endorsed illegal actions and that it would have been a better idea to shut the organization down much, much sooner.

She ended the relationship with Mirai on the same day she handed in her article. Told her she never loved her, never had feelings for her and never wanted a family. Told her she had been useful for her. At least for a while.

It broke Mirai's heart and in that moment, Crusader didn't care.

"All of that."

Crusader said carefully.

"I'm sorry, Mirai. I came to apologize to you. What I did was wrong and horrible and I was such an ass."

"Oh really? Took you long enough to realize that."

"I..."

Crusader faltered.

"I want you back."

She said. Mirai blinked. Once. Twice. She had heard that correctly, hadn't she?

"WHAT?!"

Mirai shrieked.

"I'm serious about this, Mirai. Really. I had a lot of time to think and I realized that I didn't lie with everything I said. I... like you ok? For real. I mean, I... I hate what I did to you. Even resigned from my job and all. Broke up with my boyfriend shortly after I left you. I... just give me another chance, please? I can make you happy if you let me."

"Oh, like you did last time? What do you want this time, Crusader? Another story? Or just a new kick? Quick shag, mh?"

"I just want you back."

Crusader replied sadly.

Mirai was about to yell the loudest I don't fucking give a shit the bar ever heard, when a third person stepped up to them. One Mirai didn't mind seeing one bit.

"What is going on here?"

Reyna asked, her sensual Mexican accent prominent, yet the words still sharp as razors.

"Excuse me? I'm talk-"

Crusader was cut off by Reyna, who graciously slid onto Mirai's lap, wrapped her arms around her and kissed her scandalously with lots of open tongue and quite obviously just to show off.

"Seeing as you are talking to my woman, you are excused."

Reyna glared daggers at the blonde, who swallowed heavily, but didn't move.

"Now would be a good time."

Reyna hissed, nodding toward the door. There was so much edge in her voice that is was almost physically painful to hear it cut into the blonde.

"You know Crusader, the nerve you have that you even considered showing up here, thinking I hadn't found someone else. If I had been forcibly married to Brimstone, I wouldn't leave him for you. I don't want to ever see you again."

Mirai spat.

"B-But..."

Crusader stuttered.

"The lady said you should go. Now. Or I will walk you out the door... and around the corner, ¿entender? Hijo de puta?"

Reyna said slowly.

Crusader blinked once, before she realized that the other woman was probably close to committing a very cruel, very public murder, if her facial expression was any indicator. How anybody could look so murderous without yelling was beyond her. What wasn't beyond her, was that now was a good time to slide off the barstool and vacant the pub in a timely manner. So, she grabbed her small purse and quickly scurried off with her tail between her legs.

A victorious smirk played with Reyna's lips while she slipped off Mirai's lap and onto her own chair

"Who was that?"

She wanted to know, reaching for her glass of wine.

"A horrible person, a liar, a cheater and someone who hurt me very much in the past. The person that made me vow to never have a relationship again"

Mirai sighed.

"Don't worry, I completely removed her from my memory. It's all good."

"Really?"

Reyna inquired, noticing that her girlfriend wasn't at all comfortable.

"Yeah..."

Mirai sighed

"I hate her but what I hate even more is the fact that she just ruined our perfectly good morning."

"It's not ruined, cariño"

Reyna smiled gently.

"I can make sure of that, if you let me. You won't even remember your name anymore"

She purred that last part with special seductiveness, winking very suggestively and smiling over her glass of wine.

Mirai couldn't help but giggle a little.

"You're such a horndog!"

"Made you laugh."

Reyna smiled, as she set the glass aside and moved her chair closer to Mirai.

"You want to go home and let me show you that I would never lie nor cheat nor hurt you?"

She hummed into Mirai's ear, letting her hand run up her lover's thigh, her finger's brushing over her gently, but firmly enough to stress a certain urgency and need. Reyna made an effort to sound teasing and flirty, but Mirai didn't miss the serious overtone, the pleading look in her beautiful girlfriend's eyes. Like she really wanted to make sure that Sage knew those things; like she was worried it could be different. Before Mirai could say something, however, Reyna went on.

"Except the horrible person part. I can't promise that. But you decided on the bad girl. Not my fault."

She said with a careless shrug and a smirk.

"Don't say that!"

Mirai couldn't help but laugh now.

"Oh, why not?"

Reyna kept her devilish smirk on her lips.

"It's not true."

Mirai replied, shaking her head because on the one hand it was silly and funny, but on the other hand she was perfectly serious about it, too. Then again, Reyna was teasing her.

"Mhh, well."

Reyna hummed as she looked at Mirai with a predatory expression in her eyes.

"So what do you say? Let's go home? Maybe we can still save our morning?"

Reyna's expression didn't change at all, she was already undressing Mirai with her eyes, which were screaming 'I want you. Now.' Mirai didn't miss that at all. And she liked it.

"Let's."

Mirai nodded and slid off her barstool, reaching for Reyna's hand and pulling the taller woman behind her.

"Put it on my tab, Dirk, thank you!"

She called as they left the pub.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Decided to make one of the scrapped agent concepts to be Sage's ex)
> 
> Music I listened to on this chapter (A lot this time):  
> Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello - Señorita  
> Know Brown, Gallant - Reignite  
> Bazzi, Camila Cabello - Beautiful  
> Ariana Grande - positions  
> Seraphine, Jasmine Clarke, Absofacto - Made Me This Way  
> Harry Styles - Adore You  
> ILIRA - Easy  
> Chiiild - Darling  
> Lewis Capaldi - Hold Me While You Wait and Someone You Loved  
> Emotional Oranges - Sundays  
> Camila Cabello, DaBaby - My Oh My  
> Shawn Mendes - Mercy  
> Hunter Hayes - 21


	17. Embrujo

**Central London, Exact same hotel where Sage and Reyna was currently residing**

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

When their evening started, Viper hadn't planned on the ticking noise of the clock in her hotel room being the only sound filling the air. Yet it was. Her evening hadn't been going how she expected it. Not at all. By now she was supposed to be shooed through the sheets by some handsome guy. Naked. Getting her smart brains screwed out.

At least that had been the plan for tonight.

She and Killjoy would go to a lovely, cozy bar, Killjoy would probably enjoy a pint of beer while Viper would opt for a glass of red wine. They would enjoy themselves, have a good time and Sabine would try and pick someone up for the rest of the night and have some long needed fun. Couldn't be so difficult, Viper was a fit, poison-green eyed raven-haired woman with the right kind of curves in all the right places after all.

As it usually is with plans, this one didn't survive hard contact either. Not even a moment. It shattered the second Viper opened the door of her hotel room after someone knocked twice. Killjoy was standing outside, wearing a tight-fitting suit while leaning against the doorframe. The collar of her white shirt overlapped with the one of her blazer and the top few buttons were undone, giving Killjoy ample cleavage. Her delicious pale tone skin was such a lovely blend with the white shirt and fit perfectly to the small golden necklace she was wearing.

They walked to the bar, arms linked because no matter how much Killjoy looked like she took the lead, she was still not able to walk on her own. However, that didn't show at all. Tonight, the usually tight-lipped and sometimes slightly awkward mechanic was oozing nothing but sheer confidence.

They sat down in a quiet corner of the bar, enjoyed their drinks and Sabine listened to Killjoy telling tales of her times at the military and later at one of the biggest corporates that worked on automated soldiers in Germany. How she handled another Radianite-caused wormhole at Giza, when another terrorist went berserk. Killjoy's eyes were sparkling with life when she told Viper about her life. The dark brown orbs were almost glowing and the smile she wore was one of the brightest and most honest ones Sabine had ever seen.

The initial intention of finding someone to have fun with was all but forgotten. In fact, Sabine didn't even notice when the other guests started clearing out and they were kindly informed that the bar would close soon. She was so enthralled by the woman accompanying her.

Sabine soon noticed that she didn't want to leave the bar, but had to. The short walk back to the hotel was spent in comfortable silence and when they were standing on the hallway in between their rooms, Sabine couldn't help but realize that she didn't want to be alone in her room now. For a second Killjoy looked at her with an unreadable expression, and she seemed like there was something she wanted to say, before she looked away instead. The moment had passed and Sabine uttered a silent good night, thanking Killjoy for the wonderful evening before she quickly slipped into her room.

And now?

Viper was lying in her bed. Alone and utterly confused what that evening was supposed to tell her. What did it mean? Did it even mean anything or was she just utterly over thinking again? Why was it that she found herself drawn to Killjoy so much all of a sudden? She had known her for years, ever since Sabine was a young and naive scientist and Killjoy was just another prisoner for Kingdom. But she had lost everything of the shy but oddly curious young girl from once. She had grown up so much. Tall, thinb but muscular, serious and yet capable of being silly. And Killjoy was very reliable. All features Viper definitely considered attractive. That must have meant it's not completely illogical to feel attraction toward her, was it? But was it really attraction? One thing was certain, it surely was no professional care. Sabine had taken care of patients enough in the past, and no one had ever provoked that kind of feeling in her.

Dear God, what was happening? What am I doing?

A fact she had stated over and over and over again. On a million different occasions at a million different times and just as many varying situations, in front of anyone and everyone, whenever the topic came up. Which usually was Sage's fault. And it was the truth. She had never felt attracted to girls.

But... If Sabine was completely honest, neither had she toward guys. Sure, there had been meaningless flirts and hookups, but those were just that. Meaningless. During her time at university she could count the numbers of her lovers on a lumberjack's missing hand, because there were none. And after that? Not a lot better, at least not before Mirai burst into her life. The truth was, Sabine was married to her work and simply didn't entertain the notion of a healthy relationship or even family.

There had always been something more important to do, another test, another patient, another experiment, another simulation. Besides, it wasn't like she'd ever run out of time with the Radianite technology keeping her alive and well forever. There would be time for private life later. Which didn't mean she was lonely, just that her partners usually couldn't keep up with Sabine's busy schedule and left quickly. Not that she minded.

What changed?

Did something change at all? Or was it just a momentary phase, something that would pass again? Maybe it was just because she saw how happy Mirai and Reyna were together which made her subconsciously jealous? She had never known any of Mirai's serious girlfriends. During the whole Crusader incident, she was in Montenegro and hadn't known about Crusader until it was already over again. So, Reyna was the first of Mirai's girlfriends Sabine got to know. Maybe it would only take her some getting used to those two being in a relationship until she'd be back to her normal self?

Yeah right. Who was she trying to fool here?

With a very unladylike groan Sabine rubbed over her face, staring into the darkness of her room. Maybe she should get up and go to Killjoy's room and-

No.

That was a stupid idea and more likely than not simply the wine talking out of her. She was a mature woman and she would not force herself on Killjoy, her friend and comrade, like that. It wouldn't be right to intrude on the other woman's privacy in such an undignified, unprofessional manner. Besides, she was surely fast asleep by now.

Viper decided she'd talk to Mirai about all this someday soon. She needed someone to talk to and despite her weekly sessions with Skye, she was relatively sure this was a matter she'd rather discuss with one of her only friends. Contrary to what people might believe, Mirai always gave very useful advice when it really mattered. Despite being goofy and silly sometimes, she was very much capable of understanding when Viper needed her to be serious.

In that moment, Sabine's phone, placed on the nightstand, buzzed. Reaching for the small device, she had to blink a couple of times, blinded by the sudden bright light of the display. The message was short, but clear.

Are you asleep?

It was from Killjoy. Before Sabine could think what on earth she was doing, she had already typed a reply.

No. Come over and chat?

Viper couldn't believe that she had actually just sent this. She couldn't believe that she had actually acted before she thought about the implications. She never did this. God what was wrong with her these days?!

In the room directly opposite to Sabine's, Killjoy was feeling like a little schoolgirl who had just gotten her first love letter. She laughed happily as she slammed her arms and legs into the mattress repeatedly, just to put that sudden wave of infinite happiness somewhere. That was too good to be true!

She quickly threw the blankets off and sat up in her bed. The lamp on her nightstand more than enough to light up the room well enough. Careful so she wouldn't stumble, Killjoy used the pastel-coloured wall to support herself. On her way to the door she opened the mini-bar located in the wardrobe and took a bottle of red wine from it, before she grabbed her room's white key-card and shoved it into her bra. She knew that most women hated wearing their bra. Killjoy didn't. It gave her an odd sense of safety, so she liked to keep hers on most of the time.

It was the middle of the night and most people would be deep asleep by now, so the soldier didn't bother with more decent clothes. She kept her scandalously skimpy but impossibly comfortable shorts on and made her way to Sabine's room. It was literally two steps away from hers and she could already knock. No one would see and they were both girls. Also, Killjoy might have had some ulterior motives, which she didn't admit to herself.

The door was immediately pulled open and Killjoy had to gulp, reminding herself to say something and not just stand in the brightly lit hallway with its soft red carpeting and gawk awkwardly.

Sabine was wearing a white nightgown. Most likely made from exquisite silk. But it was... see-through. And Viper apparently didn't share Killjoy's fondness for bras.

Sabine wouldn't have noticed Killjoy staring if someone had drawn a line along her line of sight. Her eyes were glued to the other woman's incredibly scarified stomach.

"I... uhm... brought some wine. Maybe we can share?"

Killjoy offered, trying her best to hide her sudden insecurity.

"Yes!"

Viper beamed.

"Come in. I'll get some glasses for us."

Soon they were sitting on the bed, each drinking wine from a tooth glass taken from the bathroom, giggling like schoolgirls. The same small lamp on the nightstand which was illuminating light in Killjoy's room was doing the same job now and was all that provided a warm but comfortably dim light.

**\------------------**

A faint pounding noise caused Reyna to open her eyes. She didn't want to wake up, yet alone get up, but the banging of something against wood was getting more and more annoying. After blinking the sleep away, she quickly realized that someone had to be at the door. Who was that bothering them at this hour? She leaned over to catch a glimpse on the nightstand without moving too much. There was a digital clock there.

08:23

Who knocks on the door at this hour like their survival depended on it?

A tired groan got the Vampire's attention, Mirai moved in her arms, rubbing over her eyes with the back of her hands while snuggling closer to Reyna's naked body.

"...loud..."

Mirai mumbled, pulling at the blanket and sticking her head out. Sage's hair was the usual morning mess. Reyna smiled gently and kissed her girlfriend softly on her head.

"Sleep. I'll get the door."

She whispered softly, carefully disentangling herself from Mirai's embrace and slipping out of bed. On the way to the door she lazily slipped on her coat from the day before and opened the door.

"Cual es tu problema, coño?"

She snarled with a venomous bite in her voice. The angry glare in her eyes quickly vanished when she faced Viper and Killjoy, the former sporting a slight blush on her cheeks and the latter turning away awkwardly.

"Reyna, you might want to actually close your coat..."

Viper said carefully, causing Reyna to look down on herself. She had just pulled the coat around her and it quickly came loose when she yanked the door open. Now it was hanging off her shoulders, not hiding much.

"Nothing you haven't seen before"

She shrugged, but closed her coat around her otherwise naked body.

"Now, what is so important that you had to knock for a solid 10 minutes?"

"I've been trying to call you, Headquarters told us that vacation is over. Can we come in?"

Killjoy said, obviously not willing to talk about anything more specific in the stairwell.

Reyna looked back and forth between Killjoy and Viper, apparently thinking for a moment. It wasn't her apartment after all.

"I guess so?"

She half stated, half asked and stepped aside to let her friend and the mechanic she at least didn't hate in.

"Mirai! Viper is here."

She called, heading to the bedroom, not bothering with offering Viper a seat or something.

Killjoy looked around in the comfortable place Mirai owned. It actually had a lot of charm and mirrored the character of its owner perfectly. It was a little messy, but also really cute and hospitable. It was easy to feel welcome and at home in this place. She decided to ignore the trail of discarded clothes leading toward the bedroom. Clothes that obviously were not from Sage alone.

"Am I the only one who did not exactly expect Reyna to open the door?"

Killjoy asked Viper.

"Cypher dropped her off here yesterday. She had to sleep somewhere, right?"

Sabine replied neutrally.

"Yes. Somewhere. Sabine, you did realize that she was naked, right?"

Killjoy asked and Viper turned around to say something, but didn't get to do it. Sage walked down the corridor, wearing a white blouse which was way too large for her.

Reyna was storming out of the bedroom with her arms held forward, as if she was trying to stop Mirai from leaving the bedroom, but it was already too late.

"Morning,"

Mirai mumbled, walking past Killjoy and Viper and heading toward the kitchen. the Vampire's arms fell to her side and she let out a deep sigh.

"Someone want a coffee? Sabine? Caramel?"

Sage's voice could be heard out of the kitchen together with the sound of cups rattling and water being poured. A coffee-machine started running and suddenly Mirai's head appeared out of the kitchen door.

"Wait a second. Killjoy? What are you doing-"

She looked at Reyna, who glared at her girlfriend, for two reasons. One being the nickname she just used in front of two strangers, the other was that she had been wearing her white blouse and nothing else. Killjoy just looked back and forth between Reyna, Sage and Viper, while the latter couldn't help but stare with her mouth hanging open.

"Close your mouth it's ugly"

Reyna said, as she walked past Viper, obviously intent on having a word with Mirai.

She didn't do mornings well.

Not at all.

A smirk appeared on Killjoy's face.

"Caramel?"

She repeated with a cheeky grin, cocking her head. She only got a groan as a reply, followed by some intense Spanish cursing.

**\-------------------**

**Back at base Haven, same day, 8:34 AM**

The sounds of the dying engines were still echoing inside the hangar halls and the footsteps of the many people running around going about their jobs were creating a constant background noise when four people disembarked from the freshly landed shuttle. A pneumatic valve opened somewhere on the shuttle and a cloud of steam hissed onto the ground while the four passengers stepped on the loading ramp.

Killjoy was rubbing her stinging cheek.

"That was unnecessary."

She pouted and looked over at Reyna, who wasn't even thinking about making eye contact. In fact, she turned away further with an arrogant snort.

"I told you I would slap you if you called me that again."

She hissed.

"You were warned. But you still used it."

"But it's such a cute nickname"

Killjoy countered.

"And it's not yours to use."

Reyna insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. It was almost like a little child who was about to stomp on the ground just to underline her stubbornness.

"Fine, fine."

Killjoy couldn't help but giggle a little.

At the end of the ramp stood Seargeant Brimstone, waiting impatiently. He was nervously tapping his foot to the ground, yet his face didn't betray any emotion, just as usual.

"Boss, if you want me on vacation, you gotta actually give me some vacation and not just three days."

Sage called, but the easy smile she had on her lips quickly faded.

"What's wrong?"

"Something urgent came up. Mission briefing is in five minutes at the command room. Jett and Skye are already waiting for us."

The Commander stated.

"Come along, we are on a schedule." He said and pointed toward the exit door, waiting for Mirai to exchange a quick glance with Reyna. His best agent turned back to him after only a moment and left in the direction of the main exit, a confident swing in her hips.

Brimstone was about to follow her, but didn't. Instead he turned back to face Killjoy, who up until this moment hadn't said anything. She had watched the constant teasing between Mirai, Reyna and Sabine with interest while they were in transit back from London, but didn't speak up until her little quip with Reyna's nickname. She felt like she could learn a lot more by simply watching them go back and forth.

She noticed Brimstone's pointed stare in the corner of her eye and snapped out of her daydreaming.

"Commander?"

She asked with a slight blush of shame on her skin.

"How are you feeling, Killjoy?"

The Commander asked with a level voice, ignoring her embarrassing zoning-out.

"I'm getting better, Sir."

She replied sharply.

"Good. I expect you back in operational duty asap."

He said with a curt nod, before he also turned and left the same way Sage did.

"Yes, Sir"

Killjoy replied. It wasn't like that was exactly what she wanted to do herself.

**\------------------**

"Unnie, why did you agree to take that woman with us?"

Jett asked, frustration written all over her face as she packed her stuff into a small storage container inside the very same shuttle they used to travel from London to the base.

"She is only going to cause trouble!"

"Jett, we have orders."

Sage groaned, also packing her kit into a container

"And she will not."

"But she is evil. Just look at those eyes of hers. She glares at people all the time!"

Jett continued, not noticing that Reyna had actually walked up to them. The assassin stuck her hips out teasingly while spinning a knife in her hand like it was a pen, not a dangerously sharp blade. She did so with such impressive precision, it would have seemed like a safe assumption that the Vampire hadn't been doing anything else in her life.

"Remind me, why exactly are we bringing a child for this?"

Reyna sneered, causing the ex-vigilante to jump and spin around and glare at the other woman, bracing her hands against her hips in a pouty manner.

"Who are you calling a child?!"

Jett cried angrily.

"You."

Reyna stated coolly, her eyes, which had been lingering on Mirai until now, snapped to Jett and the ex vigilante felt herself swallow heavily. That woman was, after all, just as scary as she always thought. But Jett wouldn't back down. She never gave in, otherwise she would have never made it to the top. And she was always #1.

"I'm not a child!" she insisted "I'm a soldier! But I guess a murderer like you would never understand that!"

"Jett..."

Mirai said carefully, not liking where this conversation was heading at all. They have been at each other's throat ever since the ending of the briefing where Jett rushed up to Reyna to complain that her dating methods only caused Skye to laugh her head up to the stratosphere before stating that Jett sounded like an edgy toddler when she tried flirting with Skye via the Reyna way.

"Oh, no, no. Let her talk her mind, si? Iwant to hear that."

Reyna scoffed with a smirk, putting the knife away into a sheath strapped to her leg.

"I may be young, but I have everything it takes! I have proven myself in my country long before I joined Valorant, ok? I am the best vigilante there is! I always get the job done and I do it honourably and for a just cause."

Jett said with conviction. She truly believed what she said.

Reyna could barely muster a pitiful smile as she leaned forward.

"You have what it takes?"

She asked, her voice mocking, while she leaned closer to Jett. Mirai could only stand by and watch in disbelieve. She should have stopped that. She should have told Reyna to back down. But for some reason she couldn't.

"Tell me, child, have you ever killed?"

Reyna whispered, starting to walk around the smaller girl like a tiger circling his prey.

"And I'm not talking about a robot or a cyborg. Have you ever taken a life? A human life? Held someone in your arms as you slit their throat? Felt the warmth of their blood run down your body and ruin your clothes? The rush? The excitement! You against them, and you came out on top? You just took a life, and it will never be again. It perished forever at your hands. Have you, mhhh?"

Reyna hummed, her voice way too sensual while she continued making her circles around the young soldier. The Vampire knew this particular vigilante was too forgiving on criminals and often handed them to the authorities unlike Reyna who simply outright killed them on the spot.

"Have you pulled the trigger of a gun aimed at someone's head? Have you seen their skulls explode at your doing? Have you done it? Felt it? Smelled it, the fear, the blood?"

Reyna placed her hands on Jett's shoulders, causing the other woman to flinch, and the Vampire to smirk.

"Have you heard it? The last gasps they make, so desperately clinging to what's left of their life? Have you seen it? The begging expression in their face, full of hope, full of regret, which vanishes so quickly once they realize: There is no mercy for them. They will die. You fought. And you won. Have you felt the excitement of adrenaline in your veins once you realize it was either you, or them? And you came out on top? Have you, child?"

Reyna purred into Jett's ear, causing each and every hair in her neck to stand straight up.

The wind-assisted vigilante caught her breath, a silent squeal escaping over her pale lips. Somehow, she had a very clear picture in her mind with every word and every detail Reyna whispered, like she ushered the words straight into her soul.

"N-No..."

She breathed.

"I haven't."

A part of her determination started to return to her. She would not continue to shake in fear, just because that woman was near her. Mirai was still here, too, she had nothing to worry about. Jett was sure, that her unnie was perfectly capable of besting the purple demon on her own, should it come to that. Besides, they were two versus one.

"And I'm proud of that. I fight fairly and with honour. There is no need for killing like you do. I am a soldier, you are a murderer."

"Foolish child"

Reyna hissed, and suddenly Jett felt a rough pull on her shoulders.

She felt the floor under her feet shift and before she even knew what was happening, Jett crashed to the hard metal floor with a painful ooompf, pushing all air out of her lungs. She usually took pride in her prized reflexes, but she had no chance to even realize what was going on. From one blink of an eye to the next, Reyna was on top of her, pinning Jett's arms under her knees, the hard bone digging painfully into her muscles. The knife the Vampire had been playing with earlier was suddenly pressed to Jett's throat, hard enough to almost draw blood.

"Eh, Reyna!"

Mirai cried, but Reyna rose a hand to stop her. To Jett's absolute horror, it worked. Sage didn't do anything.

"Tell me, did I fight fairly?"

Reyna hissed, her eyes fixed to, who had the same expression on her face which she had described before.

"No!"

Jett pressed out.

"No, indeed. And see where you are, and where I am. You perish. I live. Is there honour in this?"

She asked before she made a dismissing tsk- noise.

"Eso es ridículo. There is no honour in combat. Any soldier who saw war and lived will tell you. Don't believe me? Go to the plains of Stuttgart, to the Australian outback, or what's left of Korea's south coast and ask if honour mattered. You will find that the corpses of a million dead honourable soldiers cannot answer."

Reyna snarled.

The sound of footsteps walking up to them got her attention and she turned her head away for a moment. A young corporal was standing in the shuttle, looking irritated.

"Uhm... Agen... Miss... Reyna?"

He started carefully as Reyna looked at him and nodded. She got up from pinning Jett to the ground and put away the knife in one fluent motion. Jett continues to lay on the ground.

"You see, child, it's not about honor, or fairness. It's about staying alive. And nothing is too unfair, too dishonourable or too unjust for that goal. You either live. Or you die. Never forget that."

Reyna said, before she turned to the man who had just arrived.

Mirai just stood there and gawked. Nowhere in hell had she expected that there would be an actual lesson that Reyna would teach here. She was even more surprised to find herself agreeing to everything her girlfriend just said.

Reyna nodded at the newcomer.

"What do you want?"

She asked.

The corporal handed her a clear red acrylic plate with an envelope encased inside.

"Your orders from Commander Brimstone. You are to open them only after you are airborne."

"Understood."

Reyna replied curtly and the corporal nodded. For a moment he seemed to ponder if he should salute to her, but he seemed to decide against it. It wasn't like Reyna was his superior. And even if she was, he would have never respected her.

Turning around she found Mirai helping Jett back to her feet.

"You know, she has a point with what she said, you know that, right?"

Mirai said gently.

"How can you say that, Unnie?"

Jett panted.

"Because it's true."

"But Sova-"

"Is a cybernetically enhanced super soldier, living by a strict codex. His bow and quiver weighs more than your knives does. And he can shoot the eyes of a fly with it. Are you sure you want to compare yourself to him?"

"No..."

Jett looked away.

"See. I know you don't like her after your little shenanigans, but Reyna has a lot of experience. You can learn a thing or two from her. She didn't survive for this long, because she made mistakes, you know?"

"Maybe. Still, I don't have to like her."

Jett insisted and rushed off to the other end of the shuttle, where Raze was busy storing her behemoth of a rocket launcher away.

Reyna and Mirai exchanged a glance.

"Didn't know you had such potential to be a teacher."

Mirai giggled.

"Maybe I should suggest to Reyna that you train the next batch of elite soldiers."

Reyna snorted.

"I'd rather hang myself."

She replied.

"So..."

Mirai started looking at Reyna expectedly.

"So... what?"

"You got extra orders? What's that about? I mean, I'm glad that Brimstone decided to send you along for this mission and that he also decided to put you to active duty, but I'll admit I'm a bit curious. Should I be concerned? I'm a tad bit jealous he's already sending you on secret missions"

"Who said they are secret?"

Reyna asked.

"They aren't?"

"Yeah, they are."

"So, are you going to tell me or what? What's the big fuzz about all of a sudden?"

Mirai wanted to know and froze at the sight of her girlfriend. She was suddenly pale as a corpse and her eyes betrayed an emotional pain so intense that Mirai had to look away.

"Sorry."

She muttered, quickly reaching out to squeeze Reyna's hand for a second.

"I know I promised I wouldn't ask any questions. You can't talk about it, that's alright. Forget I said anything. I'm just an overly curious babblemouth, ignore me"

She laughed.

"I wish I could tell you,cariño. I really do."

Reyna's voice was bitter and sour. She still heard the Commander in her head.

You will tell no one about this. And I mean no one, not even Sage. Especially not Sage. She will tell Skye and Skye will put it in her records, because she is thorough and does everything by the book. Records can be read and we don't want that. Besides, I really can do without Skye talking my ears off because she disagrees with this. You will tell no one. Understood? Should you do, the deal is off, you will be booted from Valorant and your sister's death will remain unavenged.

Mirai sighed.

"I trust you. If you say you can't, you can't. I'm sure you have your reasons."

"Gracias"

"I love you, Caramel."

Mirai smiled.

"Now let's go and catch ourselves another Kingdom leader. Wonder what we'll do with her once we have her, but hey. Who knows what she might be good for. Condom concept, am I right?"

"What?"

Reyna frowned.

"Condom concept?"

Mirai laughed.

"Never heard that?"

"I'm not sure if I should have?"

Reyna half asked, half stated carefully. She really wasn't certain if she wanted to know.

"Condom concept: Better have some and not need them, than need them and not have them."

She laughed.

"Same with this Kingdom employee. We don't know what we need her for, but hey, we'll have her around just in case."

"I fail to see when you would have ever needed condoms."

Reyna remarked dryly in an attempt to tease her lover. Sage however was completely unfazed as she replied.

"Prevents mud and water from running into your rifle's barrel"

Mirai shrugged like it was the most obvious application for the little rubber socks.

"Also, it holds water just fine."

Reyna blinked before she also shrugged.

"Fair enough."

She said, following her girlfriend deeper into the shuttle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Hikaru Utada - Automatic  
> Regard, RAYE - Secrets  
> CHANMINA - Picky  
> Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli, Joey Batey - Toss A Coin To Your Witcher


	18. Unplanned Variable

**The coast of Bennett Island, Sakha, Russia. A few kilometres away from Icebox**

The thing about Russia at this time of the year was the temperature. It was freezing cold, each breath resulting in a small white cloud, like everyone was smoking. Yet, in comparison to the last time Reyna had been to Russia, this time didn't feel as cold.

Saskha. What an utter shithole

The temperatures back then were hardly tolerable, but if Reyna was fair, she had to admit that she was affected by the much different circumstances back in Saskha. Mirai had been kidnapped, she herself hadn't slept in what felt like a week and she was worried sick for her girlfriend. Reyna wouldn't have felt warm if she had been in the middle of a desert at high noon.

Now was a completely different scenario and a completely different team. Raze was the only one who was both at Diskon and on this mission too. Mirai would have taken Sova along, but the Ninja was currently somewhere in the East of China, securing some much needed supplies.

So, they were four women now. Raze, Reyna, Jett and Mirai herself. A decent small team, Mirai had no worries that they would be able to achieve their mission without a lot of problems. It wasn't like they were sent into a freaking war-zone. Saskha was a nice, civilized city for the most part.

The shuttle had dropped them off on a large unpopulated plaza in one of the less frequented, industrial districts. They had been walking from there, following Breach's GPS based directions in search of the Helios, a prestigious high class nightclub where their clones would accumulate at for the next Kingdom assignment.

It had been a comfortable 10 minute walk from the drop zone to their preparation point just before their destination. During that small walk, they did see a lot of the beautiful Russian city during its most charming period: at night, with all the sparkling city lights making the white snow glow brightly. It was an interesting place, so beautiful, luxurious and extravagant on the one side, but on the other, if you looked closer, behind its modern, open-minded facade, it was also filled with crippling poverty and decay. Two worlds were basically co-existing next to each other, the one completely ignoring the other.

Their preparation point was a pavilion made from white stone. The slightly elevated position allowed a nice view over the Helios, but still far enough away to not be too obvious. The pavilion had been built next to the Fontanka, a scenic river, gently winding itself through the city of Saskha. The street lamps of the walkways to both sides of the river cast a soft light onto the dark waters, the edges where the river met its stone confinement were partly frozen and covered with snow. The bone-chilling cold made the whole scenery weirdly silent, while everyone checked their gear, at least a little secluded from prying eyes by the pavilion's structure. Not that there were many people out for a walk in the nearby park at their side of the river.

Sage looked forward to this mission, for she knew that this one would finally be rather easy. Go in, say hello to their clones, kill or capture them and drag them back to the shuttle, fly home, done. Easy enough. At least, in theory.

Something in her guts told her that this was just wishful thinking. It was never that easy.

She glanced over at her comrades and regarded them for a moment. Raze was a flashy tower amongst them, distributing extra magazines for their concealed guns. Jett was standing next to the boisterous Hispanic, zipping her white and blue coat with a white fur hood up all the way, obviously not very fond of the cold. She was holding the box with the extra magazines for Raze. It was good to see that they were working together smoothly.

Reyna was standing a little further away, her back facing to the group. She glanced over her shoulder for a moment, locking eyes with Sage, who gave her a faint smile before Reyna turned away again.

The assassin, wearing her trademark skin tight bodysuit under a black trench coat, lit herself a cigarette. The light of the flame briefly illuminated her face, making her purple eyes glow in an even eerier way more than they usually did. A stark contrast to the otherwise dark night. While she put the lighter away, she took a deep drag, sucking the thick smoke deeply into her lungs and kept it in for a long moment. She overlooked the river when someone tapped on her shoulder. It was Raze, holding a magazine out to her. Resisting the momentary urge to blow the smoke into the mechanic's face, Reyna instead turned her head to the side to empty her lungs. She held her hand out for Raze to drop the magazine into.

"Gracias"

Reyna said plainly, turning back to the river once again while stowing the magazine in the shoulder holster she wore underneath her coat. She wouldn't have bothered with the coat, for she didn't even feel the cold, but Mirai insisted. At least her argument had been solid enough. The bodysuit alone would draw too much attention and the coat was excellent to allow for concealed weapon carry. I'm getting better, Reyna thought, taking another drag of her cigarette; the tip glowing in a bright orange light and the tobacco crackling faintly in the silence of the night. Her eyes were wandering over the river and found the nightclub not too far away. It was hard to miss, with all the colorful spotlights and sky-lasers meant for creating an interesting, unique location. How that would help the place be interesting or unique was beyond the Vampire, and frankly enough, she didn't really care either. She was thinking about the upcoming task.

Find and capture the alternate Skye, the mission objective was clear. At least for everyone else. But everyone else didn't get their own special assignments. The Vampire was not so sure if she should feel excited or scared about the extra work Brimstone gave her. A part of her was definitely excited, so excited that she felt the all too familiar rush of her cold blood and the anticipation itching in her bones. Yet, another part of her hated it, both the fact that she had to admit that she was very much looking forward to what would come as well as the fact that she couldn't talk to anyone about it. Reyna knew that she was basically lying to Mirai. But what other choice did she have? Reyna did this for Mirai just as much as she did it for herself. She could only hope for Mirai's forgiveness later on.

She took another drag from her cigarette, which had burned down to half its original length by now.

Not letting the smoke out of her lungs, she reached for a little piece of paper in the pocket of her coat. It was the note she had cracked out of the sealed red acrylic case which was given to her. Her orders from Brimstone together with two only mildly varying letters. Ever since she had read what was written on the note and the letters, Reyna had become quiet. She would do what was asked from her. No one liked traitors, especially those who betrayed someone for Kingdom. She exhaled, wondering how those letters were created in the first place and if there wouldn't be better ways to go about it. It didn't matter. This was better than nothing and she could work with it, no problem. Reyna only hoped that Mirai would still look at her after today.

Folding the two letters and putting them back into her pocket, she held the paper with her orders in her hands. Fishing in her other pocket Reyna procured her silver lighter and ignited it with a flick of her wrist. Carefully holding the edge of the note into the flame Reyna held the piece of paper until her orders had caught fire. She felt the heat of the flames licking on her fingers, before she let the burning note fall over the ancient metal parapet of the pavilion. The handrail was meant to prevent people from stumbling into the river below, yet for some reason Reyna didn't really trust it could do that anymore. The metal was rusty and old and it seemed like it would break apart if one were to lean against it. The Vampire found herself smiling at the thought of someone breaking through the railing because they put too much weight against it. So, not particularly fancying an involuntary bath in ice water, she refrained from touching the parapet when she watched the burning note floating downward. A moment later Reyna heard the sizzling of the note falling into the ice water below and extinguishing itself.

"You ok?"

Mirai asked quietly as she walked up to her girlfriend, eyeing her carefully. She was tense and her face was void of all expressions. Sage didn't like that, it was not a sign of anything good going on inside of Reyna's head.

"Sure."

The assassin nodded.

"Let's get this over with, ok?"

"Reyna?"

Mirai whispered, reaching out to hold her lover on the hem of her coat's sleeve.

"It's nothing, cariño"

"Is it because of your extra orders?"

Mirai asked, discreetly grasping her girlfriend's hand into hers and squeezing it reassuringly.

"You won't like them."

Reyna stated simply, not finding it in herself to look at Mirai.

"That's what orders are. I don't have to like them."

Sage laughed half-heartedly.

"Come on, let's get this over with, we'll be back home in no time."

She said and winked at Reyna who forced a sad smile to her lips.

The team left the pavilion and crossed a bridge to the other side of the river before they were nearing the Helios.

The Helios club was nearby, at the riverside of the Fontanka. It was an imposing building, constructed in old Roman style, obviously meant to reassemble some kind of temple. The building had countless tall pillars and a large dome in the middle of the main building. Two long, one-story buildings were framing a park-like area in front of the club, where the guests were waiting more or less patiently to be let in. The small plaza, already filled with guests, was lit with artificial spot-lights of various colours, some moving, some stationary.

The team came to a stop in front of the complex. Even though they still weren't nearly inside yet, Mirai could already hear the rhythm of the music playing on the dancefloors. The booming of deep basses and dark tunes, which touched a spot deep inside the soul, awaking a dark, forbidden passion. It wasn't Mirai's kind of Music, and neither was it Reyna's, judging from the way she wrinkled her nose for but a moment.

"As discussed. Raze and I will go inside. Jett and Reyna, you will cover the back entrance"

Sage said and could have sworn that Jett was about to protest.

"Make sure that the fake Skye doesn't escape. Keep a close eye on the back alley. If she'll run, she will most likely use that way."

Mirai added and exchanged a glance with Reyna.

"Come on then, child. We don't want this to take longer than your bedtime allows you, right?"

Reyna teased, patting Jett's head before she walked off in the direction of the backside of the club. Jett, being frozen for a second, opening and closing her mouth without a sound escaping, needed a moment to remember that she was supposed to follow that rude, mean insufferable assassin. Shaking her head, she turned and quickly hurried after the Vampire.

In the meantime, Mirai and Raze headed for the main entrance, bypassing the long crowd of people waiting to be let in. Everyone wanted in, wanting nothing more than the chance of partying with the rich and famous, catching their own short glimpse of what glamour felt like, but only few were permitted.

While the two Valorant agents walked past the many waiting guests, they received some nasty glances and glares. Compared to the dolled and dressed up guests expecting to be granted access, Mirai and Raze definitely stood out. They were both wearing a plain coat over their regular combat gear, Raze's was white, Mirai's brown. Neither of them really cared for the mean stares, they were soldiers after all and luckily looks could not actually kill. They walked up to the bouncer at the front entrance, who was looking at them suspiciously. He was wearing a very cliché fur coat and sunglasses, even though it had been dark for hours. He didn't leave the impression that he would let them inside.

"What do you want. Wait in line like anyone else. Better yet, don't bother at all with that getup."

He grumbled in Russian. A blond bimbo with pink high heels taller than a building and the fishnet stocking wrapped legs to match was giggling dumbly right behind them. Raze only looked over her shoulder and smiled, letting Mirai do the talking.

"We are expected by a person with the name Skye"

She replied easily.

"Check your guest list, please. Makarov and Onatopp."

Mirai stated the two names that Brimstone had picked as an alias for them. He didn't know who he would send, so he made up two names for the guest-list.

The bouncer took out a datapad from his coat and started typing the names into a search bar. After a few seconds, he nodded.

"Of course. I apologize for stopping you, please enjoy your stay in the Helios."

"Thank you."

Raze said with a curt smile, while the bouncer opened the door letting her and Mirai in. Sage, in a fit of unparalleled maturity, stuck her tongue out to the blond bimbo, while she walked inside backwards.

The door closed behind them and Mirai turned back around again, finding her way through a dark black and impossibly heavy curtain around the door. Once they were completely inside, the music was suddenly ten times louder and not at all pleasant. What was pleasant were the waitresses running around. The club seemed to have some sort of ice-theme going on. The bar was made from huge blocks of ice, the barkeeper was only wearing a tight white shirt, showing off his well-built body and the waitresses were... not exactly wearing a lot more either. White frilly lingerie for the most part. Which Mirai thought was pretty nice. But enjoying themselves was no objective for this day. They were in. All they had to do now was find Alternate Skye.

Meanwhile Reyna and Jett had a totally different objective to complete. At least if lurking in the shadows and waiting for something to happen or the signal to retreat could be called completing an objective. It was still what they would do for the remainder of the evening. Best case scenario for: Alternate Skye would just come with Mirai and Raze. Which was just as boring as it was unlikely, the Vampire knew that. The worst case would be that fake Skye tried to make a run for it and would have to be stopped. A part of Reyna almost hoped that would happen, just so she could see some action again. In her mind, there was no doubt that they would catch the interdimensional traveller. She wouldn't get away. That would be the actual worst-case scenario.

"Why am I stuck with you of all people?"

Jett complained more to herself than to Reyna, kicking a small, apparently bothersome, stone down the dark, dirty alleyway behind the club. The other woman still heard her, though.

"Do you speak Russian?"

She asked coolly, glancing over at Jett. The former vigilante had to shake her head no.

"See? Mirai does. And so do I. It's a reasonable split."

Reyna replied, pulling a leg up and pressing it to the cold wall she was leaning against.

"Besides, you aren't old enough to enter a club, are you?"

"I'm of legal age here!"

Jett insisted angrily, stemming her hands to her hips and facing Reyna.

"Maybe."

Reyna shrugged pretending to not care. In truth, the little girl was getting on her nerves.

"You'd still stand out."

"Oh, and you wouldn't or what?"

"Did you hear me complaining about not being somewhere else? No, you didn't. There is a reason I am watching the back entrance."

Reyna snapped. Still, the reason might not have been what Reyna made her involuntary colleague believe. It was that she didn't handle large numbers of people too well and tended to freak out whenever there were too many around her. A bloodbath in a Russian club was not on the to do list for now. At least not too much blood. Jett knew neither of those things and Reyna would keep it this way.

Inside the Helios, Raze and Sage were slowly working their way through the crowded dance floor. Kingdom had a private room at the back. Yet, getting there proved to be much more complicated than initially presumed. It seemed like everyone with some money or influence in Russia had been stuffed onto the dance floor. Damn, how many people could one cramp into a single room? The flashing lights and lasers together with the booming music didn't really help with the feeling of constant assault. Mirai was glad that Reyna had no qualms about staying outside. She would have lost her mind in her and Sage was surely not keen on cleaning up the mess a freaked out and armed Reyna could cause on a crowded dance floor. Hell, she wouldn't want to clean up the mess of an unarmed Reyna either. Her girlfriend would probably just use someone's glass as a weapon. Wouldn't be surprising. Mirai read on Reyna's file that she killed three men in a bar with only a pencil. A pencil. Meant for writing.

At least Raze was pushing through the masses like a tank through a young forest and Mirai quickly followed behind her before she was cut off. It took time to get to the other side, simply because the mechanic didn't want to kick people out of the way, but at least they were making progress.

Soon enough they found themselves in front of a passage in the wall. A huge man in a black suit and an earpiece for a walkie-talkie blocked the way, a red velvet cord denying access.

"She is expecting you"

He grumbled in bad English, lifting the cord up for Raze and Mirai to slip into the small passage. The loud music subdued soon enough into barely more than a faint tune in the background. Something Sage was actually rather glad about, the noise on the main floor had almost been too much for her to handle. She enjoyed loud music like anyone else, but at a point where she was able to feel the booming of the bass in her guts was simply too much for her. She didn't need her insides massaged, thank you very much.

The small passage lead into a room which reassembled a cave. The floor was made from glass, making the ground underneath it very much visible. Chippings of dark stone lay below the glass while multiple spotlights were shining through it, illuminating the rough stone walls. If those were actual stones or just made to look similar was not really distinguishable. It didn't matter either, the atmosphere was great, like someone created a small cave inside the club.

In contrast to the dark walls and the ground underneath the glass floor, a few very comfortable white leather couches were standing in the middle of the room, facing each other. A large glass table was in the center of the couches, a shiny metal bucket placed on top of it. There were thick drops of water running down the polished surface with some frozen spots on it. Ice inside the bucket was cooling down a green bottle of stupidly expensive champagne. Two glasses were standing on the table, too. One was almost empty, the other one seemed to be untouched, the sparkling yellow-ish liquid still filling the elegant crystal glass.

Sage and Raze exchanged a look which was saying more than a thousand words, and surely not because of the expensive champagne-flutes.

Sitting on one of the couches, facing the passage, was the a recovered and undercover Phoenix and he was not looking comfortable at all. His stiffness could be compared to an antique marble statue. The reason for his more than unhealthy posture was most likely the one and only Alternate Skye sitting lasciviously in his lap, a devilish smirk on her lips and obviously up to no good.

"Good evening luvs, someone here called the bizzy?"

Raze announced cheerfully and the fake's head immediately shot up and faced the entrance. Her eyes were wide, darting back and forth between Raze and Sage. The surprise was written all over her features.

"I take it then you didn't call?"

Mirai smirked.

"Bollocks"

The fake hissed and jumped off Phoenix's lap, looking about the room.

"I should not have trusted you. I will-"

"What did you expect? Blackmailing me was a bad idea, Miss Skye."

Phoenix said calmly, reaching for the full champagne flute, only now allowing himself to indulge the pleasure of its taste. He had won and He knew it.

Skye's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Oh, I know who you are. Skye. Lost your parents in the First Light as many had. Became a skilled mecenary. Joined a gang and later Kingdom, before you went transported to our universe. An interesting story, I'll admit, full of manipulation and social engineering. But I'm afraid, you picked a bad target for your little games."

Phoenix smiled victoriously, sipping the yellow sparkling liquid. His eyes followed fake Skye who was growing increasingly uneasy with every passing moment.

"Damn you, fucker"

Skye pressed out, running a nervous hand through her coloured hair.

"Damn. You don't understand, all I...damn"

The fake started pacing up and down the room, almost like she was beginning to panic, with her hands shaking badly and her steps becoming insecure. She seemed like she was close to falling into a screaming fit, when she stopped in front of the three Valorant agents.

"Ah, you see... I'm sure there must be something we can do about this, right?"

She said with badly forced calmness but trembling voice.

Mirai stepped a little closer to her, gazing upwards onto the taller woman with a stern look on her face.

"Yes"

She replied, crossing her muscular arms over her chest

"You will come with us. Now."

The already crumbling facade on Skye's face cracked visibly.

"Bad idea. Very bad idea."

She sputtered, glancing over at Phoenix and taking a few steps toward her.

"Why? Why did you do that?"

She asked, not able to hide some desperation in her voice. If Phoenix would have looked the fake in the eyes in that moment, she could have told that the Australian Radiant was scared and alone in the world. But Phoenix didn't grace the fake with so much as a single glance.

"You can't blackmail someone into friendship. Surely you must realize that. I would have never been your friend. No one will."

He replied confidently, hoping that Valorant would finally take Alternate Skye away so that He could get back to his life and company for the time being.

For a brief moment, there was something like genuine hurt flashing across the fake's features, but it was quickly gone. Still, Sage didn't miss it and it made her wonder for a second.

"I only tried to make you see that... I just wanted to show you..."

Skye started, but trailed off, before slouching her shoulders, letting her head hang down. Her hair was hiding her face almost completely.

"I would have never actually done anything against you..."

Skye admitted quietly, inhaling deeply and apparently composing herself. When she looked back up again, her face was replaced with a haughty smirk, almost like she had put on a perfect mask again, the cracks and holes in her facade were completely gone like it never happened. Like she never showed her true face for however short the moment had been.

"Sorry gals and other pals, but there is no place for me where you are going"

She shrugged and suddenly, she was gone.

**\-----------**

Outside, Reyna and Jett were waiting patiently for something to happen. A couple of minutes ago a bouncer had mistaken them for dancers of the club. Reyna, speaking fluent Russian, made itvery clear, that they were no employees of the nightclub in any way. Not that she would have needed to speak Russian to make that point clear. The poor bloke would be limping for at least a few days after she was done with him. All Reyna really used Russian for, was to spit threats about cutting his balls off and stuffing them down his throat should he ever dare to even look at her again. Her Asian companion could only stare while it happened, unable to intervene. It happened so fast, before Jett knew what was going on, it was already over again.

Jett had to admit that she truly had never seen anyone move remotely the way Reyna did. All her actions were smoothly and with lightning speed flowing into each other. Like the rushing water in a mountain torrent forcing its unstoppable way through the rocks, entraining everything which got caught up in the violent waters. There was no trace of sluggishness or even a hint of imprecision, only a fast series of attacks before her adversary lay on the floor. Jett was left with no other choice but admit that the Vampire was probably the only person in the world who both could and would make hurting people look absurdly elegant.

But apart from that small incident with the bouncer, nothing happened and the two women were back to leaning against an old brick wall in the shadows of the nightclub. The street back here was old and filthy, small puddles of molten water formed on warmer spots, others were covered by snow. Still, that didn't mean that all the filth on the cracked and burst tarmac wasn't visible. Not surprising, considering that the garbage of the club was collected in containers of varying rustiness underneath a small metal roof right next to the street. There were also exactly 68 blue plastic bags with presumably even more garbage inside. Reyna knew it was that specific number because she had counted them. She was bored, but didn't want to talk to the annoying Asian kid either.

There was a loading bay underneath that metal roof, which was probably only rainproof because it was frozen over. By the looks of it, that loading bay hadn't been used in aeons and probably maintained in the same regular intervals the roof has. Namely never. If that even was an interval. But, at least, inside the metal roll-gate of the bay there was a door, which served as the back entrance and actually worked . The unfortunate bouncer from before had come through it.

Reyna groaned. She wanted this to be over, wanted to be back home with Mirai and her in the same bed, snuggling. She wanted to feel the warm body of her lover pressed against hers, her hands all over her body and her mouth kissing down her neck. She wanted-

"Suspect on the run."

Sage's voice came over the radio and Reyna's eyes immediately snapped to the back entrance.

"Repeat, Skye used a portable teleportation rig. Keep your eyes open, I'm sure she is headed your way."

Finally!

Mirai hadn't even completed talking yet, when the Vampire had already moved next to the door of the back entrance. Jett was caught by complete surprise as the very same door suddenly swung open with a painfully loud creak and Alternate Skye came rushing out. There wasn't even three seconds between these events, it all happened so fast.

The fake didn't get far before her face collided harshly with the heel of Reyna's boots as she slammed it into the Australian's face with an impressive spin.

Skye, maintaining some of her momentum she gathered by running, flew down the loading bay ramp and crashed face first onto the dirty ground in front of it with a very distinctive, dull and entirely unpleasant sound. Jett came running toward fake Skye, looking like she was in pain simply from watching. She noticed that Reyna up at the ramp seemed to be fresh out of fucks to give. Figures, Jett thought, she doesn't care at all. Psycho. Murderer. She looked at the groaning Skye on the ground and then glared up at Reyna. A careless glance was all she got as a reply.

"Use the cuffs her. And don't let her out of your sights. If she escapes, you are responsible, child."

Reyna told Jett with commanding voice, authority dripping from every word, like she had been doing little else in her life but leading secret operations and commanding soldiers. Which in a way was true. Back at the good old assassinating days, Reyna was, no matter of her status, was superior to the common soldier.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Jett demanded, noticing that Reyna had jumped down the landing bay and was about to head off into the dark alley behind the Helios.

"Elsewhere. Take care of the target."

Reyna replied, before pushing a finger to her ear.

"We got her. Come back here, I'm sure the child needs some help with carrying."

"Got it, we're on the way"

Sage's bodiless voice replied. Reyna had already vanished into the back entrance.

Jett in the meantime was on top of Alternative Skye, pulling the Radiant's arms behind her back and tying them together with the handcuffs. The Australian made a sickening groaning noise when Jett pulled her back up and leaned her against a dumpster where Skye slumped down together.

"You ok?"

Jett asked, crouching down in front of the captive. She kept a little distance, though. Just in case.

"My whole body hurts."

Skye groaned with a deep frown on her forehead.

"That bitch is such a loony."

She let her head sink against the dumpster and taking a look at the young Asian girl in front of her. Long white hair framed her face. Rather cute, if Skye was honest. There was no way this girl was any threat to her. However, her hands were tied behind her back and her head was spinning like crazy. Still, the Asian didn't strike her as someone who would shoot her because of anything, so she relaxed a little.

"I must have suffered some brain damage."

She grunted ungracefully.

"Wait, what?"

For a second there was concern written on Jett's face. She deeply regretted that the second Skye began to chuckle throatily.

"I meant the crazy bitch. The crazy comatose bitch. I'm seeing things"

"Huh?"

Jett asked, cocking her head, before she counted two and two together and realized what Skye was referring to. Of course. The Australian had no way of knowing that the real Reyna was very much conscious.

"You mean the Vampire? She knocked you out."

"Impossible. The succubus got blown up with that base here eight months ago. She is comatose."

Skye stated.

Jett snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Morally, maybe. But, unfortunately, otherwise very much alive and awake. But I wish that she got affect and not her clone"

Skye paused for a second, mustering her captor and felt her lips form a cheeky smile. She chuckled, shifting a little to make herself more comfortable. As comfortable as one could be leaning against a rusting dumpster.

"What's your name, love?"

The Radiant asked.

"Why do you want to know?"

Jett narrowed her eyes and Skye couldn't help but grin even more.

"My, my. Aren't we suspicious? I don't want to call you love all the time."

She paused dramatically, winking at Jett.

"Unless you like that? Love..."

"Wha-"

Jett's blush was too cute, it made Skye smile softly and tilt her head ever so slightly. It was so easy getting the young Asian to react. Still, Skye really wanted to know her name, not just tease her. Not that it wasn't fun to do that.

"Besides, I'm sure you know who I am, don't you? It would only be fair. I'm new blood around this universe. You didn't exist in mine"

Skye shrugged, watching the other woman's reaction carefully. She seemed to hesitate, before sighing.

"Fine. My name is Jett"

Jett said, watching as Skye's devious smirk grew warm for a moment.

"That's a cute name, Jett. It's nice to meet you, I'd shake your hand, but..."

Skye laughed easily, apparently not at all bothered by her situation. She was so laidback and cool, it reminded Jett about Phoenix, her former crush. The thought about him made her swallow and she forgot whatever reply was on her tongue, so Skye continued.

"We're going to get along well, mate"

She teased and smiled, but Jett only tried to glare at her. Well, at least as much as adorable Jett was able to glare. Her facial expression was rather endearing.

"I'm not your friend, Skye."

Jett said sharply, but didn't actually feel as hostile toward the Latina as she sounded. It was the bitterness speaking out of her but soon enough she felt a pang of guilt grip her heart, she didn't mean to be mean. She opened her mouth to reply something, but was cut off by Raze and Sage approaching.

"Didn't get far, did you, Skye?"

Raze said mockingly crossing her arms over her chest.

Skye's head snapped up and every trace of the playful, smiling woman from before was all but vanished.

"Go to hell, you assholes!"

She hissed angrily, jerking forward as much as her restraints allowed her to.

"Such poisonous words for such a pretty face"

Raze replied, grabbing Skye by her shoulder and pulling her up with one hand, quickly she put her arm underneath Skye's, which still was bound to her back, and placed her hand on her neck.

"You move slow and in the direction I tell you to. One false move and I break your neck, clear?"

Just to prove her point Raze squeezed Skye's neck a little.

"Fuck you!"

The Australian snarled angrily.

"You know Skye, if I were you, I'd consider myself lucky that the commander wants us to bring you in for questioning."

Mirai said, joining the group.

"Ohh, and whatever does your commander want to know?"

The Radiant asked, tilting her head in a mocking manner.

"You'll see soon enough."

Sage replied sternly. She would not let herself be wound up by that woman. She would not take the bait.

"You don't know yourself, do you? Mirai"

Skye smirked.

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Oh, I know that you will disappear into a very small, very dark cell and that doesn't bother me at all."

Mirai returned and gestured Raze to take Skye away. She was reasonably proud that she got the last word.

Jett was sitting on an empty cardboard box, watching carefully. Her arms were wrapped around her slender body and she looked a little uncomfortable. Sage walked over to her and leaned against an iron pillar next to the box.

"Where's Reyna?"

She asked and Jett merely shrugged. Frowning, Sage pressed a finger to her ear.

"Reyna? Come in, where are you?"

Taking care of my special orders. Don't wait up, I'll see you at the rendezvous-point in a few hours.

"Alright. Good luck then."

Sage said, terminating the connection.

"What's she doing?"

Jett asked, half looking up at Mirai.

"She has a special assignment from the sergeant. We'll meet her later at the shuttle."

Mirai said and moved to follow Raze. Jett reluctantly tagged along.

"Hey, you ok?"

Mirai asked, turning around and holding an arm out. She put it around Jett's shoulders as soon as the younger woman was by her side.

"Yeah... it's just."

Jett trailed off and for a few steps the only sound came from the dry snow scrunching under their boots. Her eyes wandered along the traces in the snow before them, one large and heavy, one light and small. She found Raze still having an iron grip on Skye a few steps ahead of them. She could hear the Australian insulting their comrade and Raze grumbling in response, obviously annoyed and probably convincing herself that breaking the prisoner's neck would cause more trouble than it would be worth. It was almost funny to see how Skye couldn't take her situation seriously at all. Or at least, she made it look like she couldn't.

"What is it?"

Mirai pressed, not willing to let Jett off the hook so easily and not liking how her friend gazed ahead of them, like she was somewhere else.

A few moments of silence passed, before Jett decided to speak up again.

"When you told me about life always being too short, I don't know unnie...I guess, I never really thought there would be so little time. I knew that people would move on eventually, I just never believed it would be so... soon. It feels... weird, does that make sense to you?"

She asked hopefully glancing at Sage.

Mirai nodded after a moment.

"It's ok to feel devastated after your rejection with Phoenix, you know?"

"I know. And I did. At first I was devastated, but... It's not like we ever really talked. It was a silly crush and I feel so stupid now. I liked the idea of being with him, but... well, I never was, right? I miss the idea more than I miss his company and I feel horrible for saying that. But I didn't really know Phoenix."

Mirai gave that statement a lot of thought and didn't come up with a quick reply. She wasn't sure how to put it, but what Jett said made some sense to her. She only always looked from the distance, fancied Phoenix in the same way a teenage girl fancies the singer of a pop boy-band.

"Unnie?"

Jett asked carefully.

"Does that make me a bad person? I feel like it's what Reyna said, that some live and some die and that there should never be remorse. But that's so cruel and I really don't want to be cruel."

"No, Jett."

Mirai said and smiled at her friend.

"It does not make you a bad person. And what Reyna said is true, but not when you lose a potential partner. She was talking about our enemies, the people who are out to hurt us and the ones we care about."

Sage stopped and pulled Jett in a tight hug.

"Now come on, we can't let Raze take all of Skye's insults."

She didn't insult me, Jett thought privately, but nodded anyway, following Sage hot on her heels.

**\-------------------**

**Saskha, Russia - Nearly half an hour after the capture of Alternate Skye**

Phoenix couldn't sleep. And not because of the usual reasons. He couldn't sleep because his brain was going haywire rerunning the events of the past few hours in what felt like an infinite loop. Not that the things he saw were unpleasant. Not at all. He just couldn't believe that he actually did it. And for some reason, Phoenix wasn't talking about the whole Skye business, which, all things considered, went smoothly and with surprisingly little incidents.

No, He was thinking about everything which happened after Skye and his fellow Valorant agents were already gone again. About Anya and the evening they had together. Phoenix was thinking about how he ended up in his own king-sized bed with a beautiful girl half his age curled up next to him, the girl's head resting on Phoenix's shoulder. Anya had an arm draped over the agent, like he was the only thing anchoring her in reality. That unique snow-white hair Anya had was falling over the soft features of her cute face, lifting and sinking with every gentle breath the waitress took. Smiling fondly, Phoenix gently wiped the hair out of the way and tucked it behind Anya's ear, so it wouldn't tickle. Despite what the agent initially thought, his guest's strange hair wasn't a wig after all. It wasn't even dyed, it was just plain white with no colour at all.

The whole evening had been bizarre and so not like what Phoenix usually did. For some reason, he had decided to set all his usual habits at naught. He had picked up Anya at the agreed time in front of the Helios. Personally, that is, Phoenix didn't just send a car to have the waitress picked up. It made one of the first agents of Valorant smile fondly when the young woman sat beside her in the luxurious limousine, entirely uncertain what she was supposed to do there and probably not entirely convinced that the soft leather wouldn't suddenly eat her whole either. As it turned out, Anya was just generally rather shy and blushed easily. For Phoenix, it was really adorable how his date was not sure what was ok to talk about and what wasn't. Phoenix had little difficulties to tell that his companion was filled to the brim with questions, but he had to pry them out of Anya in the beginning.

They had agreed to get something to eat and Phoenix insisted that Anya would decide where they would go. The waitress said that she probably didn't know a single place Phoenix would normally go to, she was afraid that it just wouldn't be fancy enough for the rich fashion designer and soldier. Anya didn't know that this had been the whole point why Phoenix suggested the idea. He didn't want to go to some posh place. He wanted to see where Anya normally went. How her life looked like. So, after some convincing and carefully placed flirts, they had ended up in a small, cosy restaurant in one of the darker back alleys of Saskha. Somewhere where Phoenix had truly never been before in his entire life. It wasn't the cleanest place on earth, but the food was dirt cheap. It was supposed to be some kind of soljanka, which looked like it was cooked to a pulp. Despite this it tasted really delicious and Phoenix found himself eating his entire helping, something he usually never did. Anya was apparently close to the owner of the restaurant and so she found herself in front of a refilled plate the second she had finished her first one. During dinner shy and insecure Anya was starting to open up more and more, talking, joking and laughing with Phoenix. She learned that the waitress had four sisters two of which were still very young. When they left Anya explained that she came to this place often after work to grab a cheap meal. They went to a bar after that and Phoenix managed to get Anya to feel more or less comfortable around her. Admittedly there might have been a little vodka involved to help the younger woman lighten up, but Phoenix was glad about that. He had never enjoyed herself this much in a long time.

When the evening had progressed already and tiredness had started claiming its toll, Phoenix had taken Anya home into one of the cheaper areas in Saskha. Anya had been strangely quiet the entire ride there. When they had been sitting in the car in front of the industrialized apartment block, Anya started shifting around in her seat uneasily. She had an ashamed blush on her face when she told Phoenix that she had such a lovely evening and so much fun and that she would definitely invite him up for coffee or anything, but she admitted that she shared a two room flat with her four sisters and that it just wasn't possible. Anya was about to flee the car in that moment when Phoenix placed a hand on the younger woman's thigh. He asked if she'd rather share a bed this night than a flat and only with one person and not four others.

By the time they made it through Phoenix's front door they were both already half-naked and making out wildly, sucking on their lips and tucking on the remains of their clothes.

And now Phoenix couldn't sleep despite being completely exhausted and wholly satisfied. He couldn't sleep because for the first time in longer than he cared to admit, he felt happy. He felt appreciated as a person, not as a figure. He felt wanted as Phoenix, not as an agent of Valorant. Anya didn't seem to expect anything, she didn't demand anything. Hell, they had almost gotten into an argument over dinner, because Anya insisted she would pay for her own meal. A smile spread across Phoenix's lips as he idly played with Anya's white hair. He had never been with a woman before, but so far, this was absolutely great. The sleeping girl, she was hardly more, mumbled something and snuggled closer to Phoenix's sleeping form.

Just when Phoenix noticed Anya's slow and steady heartbeat against his skin, the phone on the nightstand buzzed. The rattling noise on the glass nightstand was loud and annoying against the silence of the bedroom. Phoenix grabbed the device to check what it wanted and was entirely unpleased with the brightness of the display, blinking a couple of times to get used to the sudden light. He had a text message from Sasha, the man he usually saw for his bodily pleasures. Which was weird, because he usually never texted him. Frowning he opened the message.

Phoenix,

I'm sorry to bother you, but this is extremely important. I'm in deep trouble and I really need your help. I don't know who else to ask, you are my only hope. Please. I'll do anything you want me to, but please. I beg you, come to my place as soon as you can. Please.

Sasha

Phoenix blinked. This was mildly worrisome. Sasha was a nice guy, a decent guy. Someone who usually didn't get into any kind of trouble and who always made time for him. It was late and he was comfy, true, but he sounded desperate. Also, he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. Curiosity would keep him awake.

I'll be there in half an hour.

He texted back, before carefully slipping out of bed. He quickly grabbed some clothes and put them on, before he went back to the bed and sat down on the edge.

"Anya?"

He whispered gently.

"Anya? Wake up, Snowflake."

"Mhh..."

Anya groaned groggily, trying to get her eyes to comply with her brains commands to open. It took her a couple of tries until they stayed open and didn't flutter shut again, before she shot up in the bed like a scalded cat.

"Shit! How late is it? I'm so sorry, I should have left! You clearly don't need-"

Phoenix shut her up by stealing a kiss.

"Hush."

He said with a fond smile and pulled the still naked girl into his lap.

"It's still deep in the night. I have to go and take care of an emergency. You stay right here where you are and sleep. Feel like home."

He kissed her tenderly and felt how Anya immediately relaxed again.

"I wouldn't mind if you were still here when I come back. If you want. We could have breakfast."

Anya beamed at him, resting her head against Phoenix's shoulder.

"Then I will wait for you. And make breakfast... Do you have any toast?"

Phoenix couldn't help but smile, because Anya was already fast asleep again.

**\--------------------**

His punctuality was something Phoenix always took great pride in. So when he said he'd be at Sasha's place in half an hour that was true. It was exactly 30 minutes after she had read the text when he knocked on the door of Sasha's apartment. He had a nice middle-class flat in one of the better areas of Saskha. Mostly paid by Phoenix for the sole reason that he didn't like sharing and didn't want him to see any other customers. That meant he covered his living expenses. Which was fine by her.

A few moments after he knocked, the door was opened and Sasha, a man with blonde hair, blue eyes and of athletic build greeted her. He was usually well-tanned, but today his face had lost all color. He stepped aside to let her in, not uttering a single word. She found herself right in his dark living room, since there was no vestibule.

"So, what's the big emergency Sasha? What can I do for you?"

Phoenix asked while Sasha closed the door again. He slipped out of his beige coat and tossed it over the couch.

"Why are the lights out? I can barely see."

He said before she turned around. That was the second the lights in Sasha's flat came to life and Phoenix felt like she was rooted to the spot. She couldn't believe what she saw. No. Why?

"I am so sorry."

Sasha whispered, looking ashamed and scared for his life at the same time. The reason for that was clear. There was a third person in the room leaning to the wall next to the door, right next to the light switch. It was a woman with charcoal and purple hair and glowing purple eyes. She was wearing a tightly closed black trench coat and had a pistol with a long suppressor pointed at Sasha.

There was no introduction necessary.

"W-what are you doing here?!"

Phoenix pressed out, every ounce of curiosity for Sasha's situation vanished. He was sure he couldn't even spell the word curiosity right now.

"How rude. Good evening to you too."

Reyna said as she walked a few steps into the room, keeping the gun pointed at Sasha. Her expression was unreadable as she continued.

"You seem a little surprised."

She said and was indeed curious about this herself. Phoenix had contacted and defected to Kingdom, that's what Brimstone told her. They knew because the protocol appeared on a Valorant spy's desk in a Kingdom and he was tasked to find a way to retrieve Alternate Skye before Valorant could. He would send his team tomorrow. Until then everything would be said and done. The question remained. Why was the former agent surprised to see her?

Then again, it didn't really matter. Reyna had her orders and she would carry them out. Reyna had promised to eradicate Kingdom once and for all. That man did business with Kingdom. To Reyna there was hardly a difference.

Phoenix was as pale as an ancient marble statue, drained from all color, he could only open and close his mouth like a fish out of the water. What was going on here? He didn't contact Kingdom, he didn't take their deal, he didn't do anything to warrant the Vampire's presence here. And why here? Why in Sasha's home? Why was she pointing a gun at him? It didn't make any sense.

"No reply? Fine. I'll tell you how we will proceed now."

Reyjna said calmly but with her trademark smirk. She looked at Phoenix with an expression he didn't like for a second. He didn't know which of the many worrisome factors of this scenario caused the uneasy feeling in his stomach, but it was there and it told him that nothing good would come out of this meeting. Reyna shouldn't be here. There was only one reason Valorant had to send her anywhere and that reason was not to have negotiations. But the assassin didn't seem to care about Phoenix's inner panic, as she calmly continued coming closer.

"Say, is he your lover? Do you like him?"

Reyna asked of Sasha, her smirk changing to an almost warm smile. Yet the danger lurking in her eyes was not lost on Phoenix. This was an assassin, not a friend, a predator during the hunt, not a woman, an artist of death, the spider which lured her prey into her web until it was too late. Every fibre of Phoenix's body screamed to run away as fast as he humanly could while screaming for help. But he knew that he'd probably be dead in the same moment he'd make a sudden move.

"Well... errr.. I..."

Sasha replied, rooted to the spot.

"I pay him to sleep with me. This is not concerning him in the slightest."

Phoenix tried to sound determined.

"Oh, I know that. I was just curious. It would have been more fun if you two had an actual romance, but this will have to do."

She said as she reached Phoenix. Suddenly the agent had a large knife on his throat, the cold metal digging deeply into the skin.

"What are you doing?!"

Phoenix exclaimed, but immediately shut up when Reyna pressed the knife harder to his throat. What was going on here? The gun was still pointed at Sasha and Phoenix himself was in no less danger it seemed. Where was Reyna going with this?

"Stop, let him go!"

Sasha exclaimed.

"Quiet. Both of you."

Reyna hissed and was happy to see that both her hostages complied perfectly.

"Good. Now, let's see. Why don't we all take a seat?"

Reyna suggested and waved her pistol over to the large U-shaped couch. Sasha hesitated but did as he was told, walking over to his dark brown couch where he sat down. Reyna followed with Phoenix, choosing the place opposite to Sasha.

"Listen, you don't need Sasha for this, do you? Just let him go."

Phoenix tried, but only got roughly shoved onto the sofa with Reyna disturbingly close to his right.

"You just be happy that I didn't prepare for that white-haired pet of yours. You seem fond of her."

Reyna hissed.

That shut Phoenix up. Anya. Fuck. This is bad. Really bad. But Phoenix couldn't do anything, not with the knife still at his throat and the gun aimed at Sasha.

"I'm pretty sure you have seen something like this before. I figured you have, since you sell them."

The Vampire stated and held the pistol in front of the defector's eyes.

He nodded.

"Great. Have you held a gun before?"

Phoenix nodded again, frowning at how seemingly stupid the question was.

"Even better."

Reyna smirked, handing a stunned Phoenix her gun.

"Be a dear and hold that for me."

Reyna said.

"Oh, and I probably don't need to mention this, but I'll cut your throat if your try and point it anywhere else than dear Sasha over there."

She added, reaching into the pocket of her coat and pulled out two letters. She let one fall on the small coffee table in front of them and stuffed the other one back into her pocket.

"What's that?"

Phoenix asked, leaning forward carefully.

"Don't recognize the handwriting?"

Reyna smirked as Phoenix paled even more. If that was even possible without becoming transparent, but apparently, it was.

"It's mine! How did you do this? Why-"

He couldn't finish the sentence as Reyna had grabbed his hand and forced him to pull the trigger a couple of times. The gun made a few muffled sizzling noises, riddling poor Sasha with bullets. Would Reyna have shot herself, she would have used a simple triple-tap. two bullet to the chest, one to the head. But that wasn't what an emotional amateur like the former agent would do in that situation.

The defector tried to scream, but Reyna immediately let go of the knife and pushed her hand onto Phoenix's mouth. Someone screaming wouldn't do her good. The less noise, the better. Reyna paid extra attention to keeping a tight hold of the gun and Phoenix's hand holding it.

"Shhh."

Reyna whispered, bending Phoenix's arm around while still forcing him to hold the pistol.

"It's your farewell note. Really passionate too, don't you agree? Filled with regret and angst. Quite touching, how you come clean about your marriage and how it was all a lie. How you are fed up with hiding and only want to be united with your lovely boyfriend. I almost cried."

She said as she removed the hand from the former agent's mouth.

"Why are you doing this?"

Phoenix asked, his hands shaking badly. He wasn't even fighting back his tears anymore.

"You shouldn't be here. How did you know where I am?"

Reyna only smirked.

"Still didn't figure it out? I wasn't sent by Kingdom nor Valorant.

"What? Wait! I didn't-"

"Brimstone sends his regards. Traitor."

The panic was written all over Phoenix's face.

"Wait! I never contacted-"

Phoenix's body went limp in her arms and Reyna let go. The lifeless corpse of the defector sunk to the brown couch, dark red blood quickly pooling on the leather surface. Reyna picked up her knife again and left the pistol where it was.

The experts of the Russian forensic department would later confirm that the burn marks on Phoenix's hand matched the unlicensed gun found at the scene and deduce that this was indeed a murder-suicide, just as it was stated in Phoenix's farewell letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> K/DA - VILLAIN  
> Sonia Leigh, Daphne Willis, Rob the Man - Spider in the Roses  
> Skeeter Davis - The End of the World  
> Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower


	19. Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pain. Just pain

Silence was seldom comfortable. True, there were the rare occasions of tranquil quietness some people tended to share when they were completely comfortable around each other. But the deafening silence inside the shuttle was nothing like that. No one in their right mind would have considered this to be comfortable. It was heavy, hanging over the shuttle like an all-consuming veil.

It had been like this from the moment Reyna returned to the shuttle and the team was ready to leave Saskha. Before that there had at least been some conversation. Alt Skye trying to wind up Raze while she was being placed in one of the chairs and Raze securely tied the Kingdom agent to the support bars, to prevent her from escaping. The insults Skye came up with while Raze had been trying to take all of the technology the Australian had handy away from her were almost hilarious. The enemy agent hadn't really protested, she just made sure to let Raze know about her opinion.

Raze had uttered something which could have both been an insult and an apology, before she stomped away, leaving Skye in her chair.

That was the situation Reyna had walked into when she returned to the shuttle. With a raised brow and a reproachful look on her face she had told Jett to never make the mistake of lowering her guard around Skye. At least not if she didn't want to get herself seriously hurt.

Skye's playful smile froze in that moment, not that Reyna would have noticed or cared. She had already stalked off into a quiet corner of the shuttle, her heels clicking loudly on the metal floor until they were gone.

Ever after that it had been silent.

Raze has been doing her workout, making no noise apart from some strained grunts every now and then.

Alt Skye was still seated in her seat, refusing to speak.

Jett chose to sit next to the Australian, but didn't talk either.

And the Vampire? Well, she had moved to the couch in the corner of the shuttle, her legs crossed on top of the table and gazed out of the window. Her face was void of any expression or even a hint of emotion. There was nothing. For everyone else she might have been her usual regal self, carrying herself with an air of superiority and grace, but Mirai knew better. Something was off about her girlfriend. Very much off.

When she asked her if something was wrong, all she got as a reply was an ever so faint smile and a weird "quite alright, cariño"

Luckily Sage wouldn't have to wait much longer until she could go off to the side with Reyna and ask what was bothering her. In a few moments, they would land in Bhutan, give Alt Skye to Brimstone, maybe have a short mission debriefing and then do whatever they wanted.

Maybe some dinner. Mirai sighed deeply at the thought of a warm, proper meal. That sounded rather heavenly as of now. She had only eaten sandwiches and salads the last couple of days for some reason. She'd have time to change that soon.

The shuttle smoothly completed its landing maneuver, touching the ground with a barely noticeable shake and stopping the engines. As the whirring died off, the pilot opened the shuttles loading bay door, while Jett was working on untying Skye from her chair. Outside there were already a few soldiers clad in the black and red Valorant uniform, ready to escort the prisoner to the holding cells.

"So, what are you all going to do with me, now that you have me?"

Alt Skye asked while the soldiers boarded the shuttle, one of them taking out a set of zip-tie handcuffs from his belt.

"You'll have to wait and see."

Sage replied with a shrug. She could feel Reyna walking up behind her and noticed how Skye's sight left her face and peered over her shoulder somewhere behind her. At least she did until the soldiers turned her around, cuffed her hands behind her back and were about to push her out of the shuttle.

"Honestly, I would have taken any bet you're dead, leech."

Alt Skye said, trying to shake the strong hand of the soldier behind her off her shoulder, but failing.

"You watch your mouth."

Reyna snarled as she walked past them, quickly leaving the shuttle. Sage only stared after her, taking in the sight that was her girlfriend. Everything about her was gorgeous.

"Ma'am?"

One of the soldiers sent to escort Skye started, catching her attention. He was obviously waiting for something and Mirai had to blink twice before she realized what it was.

"Oh, yes. Sorry. Take her to holding. We'll see what we do with her after debriefing."

"The Commander told us he is waiting in the command centre for you and your team."

The soldier informed her, and Mirai nodded her understanding.

She turned to leave the shuttle, walking down into the busy hangar with all the technicians running around, the flight personnel going about whatever business they had and of course the cargo crews driving around boxes of whatever stuff was inside.

The Vampire was leaning on an ammo crate, her face still entirely void of any expression past annoyance and a tiny flicker of disgust. Where that came from was beyond Mirai. She joined her pretty girlfriend, crossing her arms over her chest and trying to figure out how to best coax Reyna out of the shell the Mexican assassin had retreated into. They had to talk about what was bothering Reyna, sooner better than later.

"Sooo..."

Mirai started, not looking at her lover. Despite her being there, right next to Reyna, she felt so far away at the same time. Like there was an unscalable wall starting to rise between them.

"Want to hang out after the briefing?"

She asked hopefully. Mirai could only pray that Reyna wouldn't decide to push her away now.

Reyna merely nodded without saying so much as a word.

"My quarters?"

She nodded again, and Mirai suppressed the urge to sigh. Her girlfriend was not in a talkative mood today. Which was nothing new, Reyna never was and would never be a chatterbox, but today she was uncharacteristically quiet. Even for her standards. Which was honestly starting to worry Mirai more than she wanted to admit to herself. She thought they were long past the stage where Reyna would shut Mirai out. It felt like she had been wrong about that. And that hurt.

"I'll need to talk to the Commander in private afterwards, though. I will join you when I am done."

Reyna stated, and Mirai resisted the urge to ask her any questions, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Do I need to be jealous, hmm?"

Mirai asked with a badly suppressed giggle, trying to lighten up the mood a bit.

Reyna looked at her like someone just stole her favorite meal from right in front of her eyes.

"Wha-"

"No worries. I know you have to discuss your super-secret mission with him."

She smiled poking her girlfriend in the side as they both watched how Alt Skye was taken away by the guards with Jett hot on their heels, ranting about something. One of the soldiers was trying to get a word in, but the ever headstrong Ms. Jett wouldn't have any of his interruptions. She was giving the poor guy hell for no apparent reason other than them doing their job. A part of Sage thought it was kind of endearing how fierce Jett could be.

"I'd have slapped her by now."

Reyna stated coolly and only got a perked up eyebrow from Mirai as a response.

"Jett!"

Sage yelled across the hangar.

"Leave them alone, they know what they are doing. Go and get Raze, we are meeting the Commander for debriefing."

"But, Unnie, they are-"

"Haven't you heard your superior, little girl? You are wasting your time on that Australian piece of trash. Do what Sage said!"

Reyna hissed loudly and in a way only the scary assassin could ever pull off. Her voice was cutting through the hangar-like a razorblade.

"She isn't trash!"

Jett replied.

"Jett! We haven't got all day."

Sage yelled again, putting a stop to the argument which was about to explode.

"Urhg, fine!"

Jett shouted back, rolling her eyes. She just wanted to make sure that Skye would be treated with the respect any human deserved. Not that doubted this to be the case, but she still wanted to make sure. She didn't even know why. It was unnecessary, she knew and so, with a deep sigh, she turned and searched for Raze. Still, she thought Skye could have used some company. At least company which wasn't pushing her around and treat her like... well, like trash, as Reyna had put it so bluntly.

Smiling, Mirai pushed herself off the crate and turned to leave.

"You coming, Caramel? The sooner we are done with this, the sooner we have time for us."

She said with a wink, actually managing to get a small smile in return from her lover. There was no teasing reply, no witty and slightly snide remark, nothing of the usual way Reyna reacted. Yes, something was definitely bothering Reyna and Mirai would find out what it was.

All the way to the command room Reyna followed silently, only one or two steps behind Mirai. Like a dog following his owner. Their steps where echoing down the hallway as they both walked toward Mirai's quarters. It was still dark outside with the moon shining brightly on the sky, dipping the world outside in a cool silver glint. Only far outside where the horizon met the edge of the world, the first few rays of a new sunshine could be spotted, bringing in some very dark orange colors. The ever so gentle early signs of yet another day. When Mirai looked over her shoulder she found Reyna looking outside, but not really taking in the scenery. She was totally out of it.

_Seriously, what is going on with her?_

Mirai groaned, reluctantly putting the thought to the side for now. First things first. She greeted the guard positioned at the entrance of the command center, and walked inside, closely followed by the former assassin. Navigating through the busy crowd of people working on their assigned projects Mirai quickly found the meeting room in the back.

It was easy to see the Commander was already there, since the entire front wall of the room was made of glass, facing the command center. Brimstone was sitting on a large wooden conference table in the middle of the room and drinking a cup of hot coffee. Mirai had to admit that the Commander did in fact look a little tense the last couple of weeks. Even more tense than he usually did. She shook her head ever so slightly, not wanting to worry about him too, before she opened the glass door and entered.

"Welcome back, Agent Kimur."

Brimstone nodded as a greeting, before briefly acknowledging the second woman entering right behind Sage.

"Reyna."

"Boss,"

Mirai saluted quickly before she took a seat on the table. Her girlfriend didn't react at all, she chose to stand right behind Mirai.

Brimstone perked up an eyebrow, words visibly forming on his tongue, but he didn't get to say them, as the door opened again. Raze and Jett came in, greeted the Commander properly and seated themselves on the table.

"I take it the mission was a success?"

Brimstone wanted to know, reclining in his leather chair. The Commander looked tired these days. Worn. Like the years of hardship and struggle he had put into his work finally chose to show their signs.

"Absolutely. We have Alternate Skye, she is currently being placed in the holding area."

Mirai informed the Commander, choosing not to say a word about his tired look. It wasn't her place after all. Maybe she'd ask the real Skye to have a look at him one of these days? Would that be right?

"Any complications?"

He wanted to know, turning his mug of coffee back and forth in between his hands.

"None."

Sage replied, scratching her chin in thought.

"Well almost. She did try to run away, but didn't get far. We contained the situation quickly."

"Any damages resulting from that?"

Brimstone wanted to know, now leaning forward in his chair, making it creak just enough to be annoying. It wasn't like he could have done anything about eventual damages, but he still wanted to know.

That was when Reyna snorted.

"Other than her broken face? No"

"You broke her face?"

Brimstone blinked in disbelieve. What was wrong with that Woman, seriously.

"What was I supposed to do? She ran against my heel."

The Vampire shrugged.

"And then fell off a ramp. Her stupidity is not my fault. She tried to get away. I stopped that."

Brimstone sighed audibly.

"Is she hurt?"

He asked, not really believing that he actually had to give voice to that question.

"Not from the beating gave her, Sir. Skye is mostly unharmed apart from a few bruises. She is actually kinda nice, if you don't insult her all the time."

Jett cut in, giving her Mexican colleague a meaningful look.

"Alright, I'll have the real agent Skyegive her a check-up and a little rest and then prepped for interrogation. Since you seem to get along with her, that will be your responsibility, Ms. Jett."

He informed the youngest member of Valorant.

"Uhh... Sir, I don't do interrogation. I wouldn't even know where to start, even if I wanted to do it."

Jett said firmly.

"I can do that. Just tell me what you need to know."

Reyna said, her voice lacking emotion in a more than creepy manner.

"NO!" Jett almost screamed, much to everyone surprise. She had almost jumped up from her seat and slammed both hands on the table. Noticing all eyes were on her, Hana's face turned pink and she immediately sat back down again, her hair falling into her face without her wiping it away. She was awkwardly hiding behind it.

"It would only take a few moments."

The Vampire stated with an uncaring shrug.

"As much as I do not like unjustified interruptions,"

Brimstone glanced at Jett, who muttered a very quiet sorry.

"I do have to agree with Ms. Jett. Thank you for the offer Agent Reyna, but we do have our own specialists for that."

He said, now turning his full attention to Jett.

"As for you, Miss Jett, I wanted you to oversee Alt Skye's time here. Not conduct the interrogation. You are responsible for her."

"U-understood, Sir."

She replied, nervously playing with her fingers.

"Good. Anything else?"

Brimstone glanced into the group of his agents.

No one spoke up.

"Alright. Then you are dismissed."

Brimstone said and watched as the three agents who sat down got up and turned to leave. Reyna, however, didn't seem inclined to move even an inch, fully intent on staying where she was.

"See you later?"

Mirai asked at the door and Reyna gave her an ever so faint smile and an equally unnoticeable nod.

"Si"

She replied for only Mirai to hear, which caused Sage to grin.

"The Vampire still has business to discuss with me. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't keep her distracted, Agent Kimur. You are dismissed."

"Uh, yes, boss. Didn't mean to."

Sage replied and closed the door behind her. The second she did, the glass got opaque, obstruction the view into the command center. It hadn't done that before.

"Any complications with Rogue Agent Phoenix?"

Brimstone wanted to know, cutting straight to the chase. He knew that Reyna wasn't one for small talk or beating around the bush and neither was he. They had business to talk about and nothing else.

"He is dead."

Reyna stated with an eerie air of indifference around her. They were talking about the death of a Radiant, yet it sounded like they were discussing the weather.

"Clean kill, him and his lover boy. It will look like a murder-suicide."

The Commander nodded in understanding. He hadn't really expected anything else.

"Are you sure no one will suspect anything?"

Si, I did that dozens of times. It always worked. There are no witnesses, the police will think it was exactly what we want them to believe. The suicide note you provided me with will really help. Given that his handwriting is flawless in the fake, there won't be a doubt."

"The fake is perfect. Good job, Reyna. I have to say, I am impressed."

"I'm not."

Reyna snorted with a shrug.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, I'm not impressed. You told me Phoenix had ties to Kingdom. That he double-crossed you?"

Reyna asked, crossing her hands over her chest in a defiant manner.

Brimstone nodded, interested where Reyna was going.

"That's the intel our spy passed along to me. He is usually right about these things."

"Not this time."

Reyna stated firmly.

"Phoenix had no idea why I was there. She didn't expect Kingdom or Valorant at all.

Brimstone blinked.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Oh please. I know when people lie. And I know that they usually tell the truth when they are about to die."

She said easily. She had heard many last words, more than she cared counting for. Most of them were nothing but the hard, cold truth.

An annoyed groan escaped Brimstone's throat and he rubbed over his face with his palm.

"If you suspected he hadn't contacted Kingdom, why did you kill him?"

"Because, Commander,"

Reyna pronounced his title in such a mocking manner that Brimstone actually felt a bit insulted.

"You need to understand that once you point the finger at someone and say kill I will do that. No matter what, it will always happen."

She hissed, not willing to explain why there was no other outcome to this scenario.

"I do not change the objective, I do not make last-minute adjustments, I will not get back to you and tell you about tiny details to make you reconsider. All I do is removing the target you gave me. No exceptions. If you send me to someone, you better be absolutely, one hundred percent sure that someone is guilty. Because when I come back, that person will be dead. That was our deal. I agreed to help you bring Kingdom down by killing whomever you need dead in exchange for vengeance against my sister. I didn't agree to be your personal detective. You do that work. I just carry out the final blow."

Reyna hissed, leaning onto the table and staring the Commander down.

"I won't get involved beyond that point."

"That could be a problem."

Brimstone sighed.

"Your problem. Not mine."

The Vampire turned to the door and was about to leave, when she stopped.

"Oh, and if I were you, I'd talk to the spy and find out where that information of his came from. Because from what I remember thanks to dear Mirai's therapy, Kingdom flushes out traitors with intel-baits like these. Just so you know. And now I'm gone, you know where I am should you need me the next time around. And be sure who you send me to, then. Hasta luego"

Reyna waved and was gone.

The door clicked shut and Brimstone had no way of seeing how badly Reyna started shaking once outside. She needed a moment to calm herself, pressing her hands together tightly to force them to stop shaking. A soldier walking past made the mistake to stare for a moment longer than the Vampire liked, so she shot him one of her nastiest glares, one that clearly said fuck off or die. He got the message and hurried along.

Reyna groaned, she felt sick.

How was she going to explain this to Mirai?

What had she done?

What should she have done?

She shouldn't have killed Phoenix. But it had been her assignment. Her job. She had to. Brimstone didn't get it. She had to do it. He didn't understand. He gave her the job. She had to do it. Never disobey an assignment. Never change it. Do what you are told.

The Vampire bit her lip hard enough to taste the familiar metallic taste of blood in her mouth.

Fuck, what was she going to do?

**\---------**

**Base: Haven, Infirmary, An hour later**

The door into the kingdom of Dr Viper burst open and storming inside came none other than the former freelancer master assassin, wearing an expression void of any emotion. Her keen purple eyes searched the room for any signs of the woman in charge but found no sign of her anywhere to be found.

An annoyed snort escaped Reyna and she was about to turn back and go to Mirai's quarters. Obviously without talking to Viper about the possibility to start to tinker with the implant stuck to her chest and heart. A procedure the American doctor had still been reluctant to do for safety reasons. But Reyna was done waiting.

That, and she had hoped that she could offer Mirai something to show that she was indeed trying to change, despite her fear of having her body tampered with. Rationally Reyna knew that it was an idiotic fear to have. Skye was only there to help her and each and every time the American doctor had done something on Reyna's body the results were great. Be that her stabilized yet potent powers but in doing so has inadvertently tampered with her emotions. Her emotional sensitivity was still comparable to that of an angry mountain-troll, but at least she was able to feel more now. Something being more than utter devotion to Mirai and the overwhelming urge to kill anyone who dared to mess with her girlfriend. One could say that Reyna's ice cold demeanour was slowly starting to thaw. A little. She could actually be something one might almost mistake for niceness from time to time.

Reyna wasn't too sure if she liked that yet.

And it didn't solve her problem.

"Are you looking for someone?"

A voice asked and Reyna turned her attention to the back of the infirmary. Killjoy was just returning to the room, from where, Reyna could only guess. Judging from the way the soldier tried not to fall on her face in a most disgraceful way, she couldn't have been far. The toilet was probably the most likely explanation, so there was no need for any questions.

Reyna's eyebrow twitched as she caught herself walking over to Killjoy and offering her a hand of support. Something the old Reyna would have never done. The new Reyna couldn't stand the idea of watching how a once-proud warrior tried to not fall to her feet. Despite her impressive progress, it was still degrading for Killjoy. These injuries were from her latest mission to Madagascar whilst Reyna was in Russia, during the return back to base Kingdom soldiers nearly severed her spinal cord with a bullet but luckily for her Viper was quite the skilled physician thus instead of being paralyzed she had to have crutches for only a few months.

An unreadable smile flashed over Killjoy's face when she accepted the helping and the close proximity to Reyna felt, admittedly, really weird. Her skin was cold as a corpse and even though they were only walking together, Killjoy could feel Reyna's strength. It was just so obvious, the way how Reyna didn't struggle for even a moment when Killjoy leaned on her arm to not stumble and fall.

"So?"

Killjoy asked, still hoping for an answer as to why Reyna was in the infirmary. Not that she minded the company.

"What?"

A moment of confusion passed before Reyna remembered that Killjoy had asked her a question.

"Oh. Looking for someone?"

"Si. I was hoping the Doctor would be in."

Killjoy formed a silent ah. Of course Reyna would be searching for Skye, it was obvious really.

"Sorry, Sabine is checking on our new friend. You know, the one you guys brought back from Russia."

She replied with a shrug as Reyna helped her sit down on what became Killjoy's bed in the last few months.

"Ah, the windshield Viper?"

Reyna shrugged.

"Probably a good idea to check her face."

"What?"

Killjoy choked, not sure that she had actually heard what she thought she did.

"What?"

Reyna smirked, trying to seem confident. She wasn't. She hadn't meant to let Viper's old nickname when she was still in Kingdom slip. She didn't even know where it came from.

"Did you just say _windshield Viper?_ Did you just crack a joke?"

A flabbergasted Killjoy asked in utter disbelief.

"Don't be ridiculous, I must have misspoken."

Reyna quickly replied, mustering her trademark smirk. Killjoy just gave her a pointed look and a perked up eyebrow. A moment of tense silence passed between the two women before Reyna only huffed and uttered:

"You have no evidence."

As a reply Killjoy could only roll her eyes as she settled into the bed. There was no point in replying. Still, a little fun would have been a nice change. Despite the fact that she had been to London with Viper only recently, Killjoy was already sick of being stuck in the infirmary again.

Hated it even.

She wanted to be able to walk again like a normal person. Like she used to. Not like some cripple who could only walk when she leaned against a wall or when someone was there to support her. It was humiliating. The only advantage of this place was the proximity to the doctor. Which in itself was both torture and heaven.

"Anyway, I need to get going, there is something I have to take care of."

Reyna said and was about to leave, the doctor wasn't here after all and as much as she enjoyed her short exchanges with Killjoy, the European couldn't help her.

"Oh, trouble in paradise?"

Killjoy asked with a teasing smile, completely oblivious to how close to the truth she had just struck. The death glare she received was a great indicator, though.

"None of your business."

Reyna snapped, narrowing her eyes. There were a few topics, where Reyna made it obvious that she had no inclination to ever discuss them. Ever. Ok, there might have been more than a few topics. A lot of topics, actually. But either way, it was usually a wise choice to never come up with those particular issues again.

Killjoy's head recoiled a little at the harsh rebuke.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that..."

Killjoy said quickly, raising her hands in defense. However, there was an opportunity here, a chance to speak to Reyna in private and since the topic already kind of came up, Killjoy could just as well utilize that. There was a fifty-fifty chance of completely destroying the fragile bud of friendship the two women managed to somehow allow and grow between them, but Killjoy decided it would be worth it. Best case scenario, they would lay some important groundwork for their friendship and Killjoy would get some answers. So, the soldier summoned all her courage and continued.

"I just asked because... well, since I know you and Mirai are a thing..."

"Something you will forget immediately. And never speak of it again."

Reyna hissed, narrowing her eyes to her trademark death-glare, but Killjoy just shook her head. Slowly, like she was disappointed. Sage and Reyna had what they wanted and Killjoy would lie if she said she wasn't a little jealous. So why hide it? What was the big deal? It was so stupid. She just didn't get it.

Reyna didn't like the look on Killjoy's face for even a moment.

"Seriously, what is it with you two and your idiotic secrecy?"

Killjoy asked, definitely not in a calm manner. The mere idea of keeping a relationship a secret didn't sit well with her. Not at all and for reasons she had experienced firsthand. Her father and mother had to keep it a secret whilst working for Kingdom. As a result, she had grown up without parents.

"I don't know why you are so uncomfortable about all this. What's bothering you so much that you don't want anyone to know you two are in love?"

She asked and was surprised by Reyna's rather expressive look on her face.

"Don't give me that face. Anyone with a working eye can see how much you care for each other. You should be happy to have her. It's not like you need to be ashamed because of your girlfriend or something."

Killjoy stated firmly. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, mentally scolding herself for that outburst. It wasn't where she wanted to go, just a bitter bug she had to spit out.

"But it's none of my business, I know."

She added with a shrug, failing to notice how Reyna fell silent, the shocked expression changing to a sombre nothingness. Like something truly important, something ground-breaking, something she would have never thought about herself suddenly clicked into place and made perfect sense. Just not in a good way. _Ashamed of your girlfriend._ The phrase echoed in her mind over and over again.

Killjoy missed Reyna swallow heavily as she continued.

"Still... I was hoping you could answer a question for me. Since you are in a relationship with another woman and all. How did you... you know?"

Killjoy asked, a prominent red color burning on her cheeks.

"Know what?"

Reyna asked, disgusted how small and pathetic her voice sounded in her own ears. She wouldn't let someone else see her in such a weak moment. It was unacceptable.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Killjoy asked carefully, but the Vampire only snorted.

"Don't be ridiculous."

She said, relieved that her usual haughty voice was back the way she wanted it.

"Now, what should I know?"

Reyna asked with an expertly placed teasing smirk while she leaned forward a little. Her mind was still racing, but she had no intention of letting that show again.

"Uh, don't be like that!"

"Like what exactly? If you'd just ask a proper question, I might answer."

"Fine!"

Killjoy pressed out.

"How did you know, that you liked Mirai in... that way and that she did, too?"

There. She said it. Suddenly the soldier seemed to have taken an interest in her fingernails, which she was clicking together.

"Oh."

Reyna said, staying silent for a very long, very uncomfortable moment. A wave of very fond memories overcame her, and she started smiling the warmest, most adorable smile Killjoy had ever seen and obviously not just on the Vampire. No one had seen her smile apart from an icy, calculating and scarily predatory smirk which usually screamed I got you now.

Before Reyna knew what was happening she had already started talking. So much for her resolve.

"Well, it started when I noticed that she was the only person I hesitated to kill. We had a weird back and forth whenever we met in combat. A very specific kind of dynamic, fighting felt like friendly banter. I enjoyed that, I think, no one could come out the clear winner, no one could keep the upper hand. It was like a wild dance we only shared with each other and I remember being content with that. Back then I had never even thought about the possibility of her and me being anything more than we were. Then I was captured by Mirai and Sova during one of my missions. Soon after my experiment with the Radianite orbs she saved my life. That was the turning point in a way. I realized there could be something. Mirai gave me a glimpse at what I could have, and I wanted more. A few days later she found herself staring at me through the bathroom window."

Reyna smiled fondly at the memory, not noticing that her Mexican accent became a lot more prominent as she spoke.

"Told me that she was hungry for something other than food. Before I knew it, I was kissing her. I guess after that there was never really a doubt in my mind that I wanted her in that way as you put it. She lights up my life. Without her there would only be darkness. That's how I knew."

She suddenly cleared her throat, as if she woke up from a daydream.

"Wow."

Was the only thing Killjoy could come up with. What else could she say? She hadn't expected that Reyna would share such a deep insight into her personal life.

"I don't really see why this is important to you, so do elaborate."

Reyna's dreamy expression quickly faded as she set her sights on Killjoy once more.

"And I swear if you ever share this, it will be the last thing you do."

She added sternly.

Killjoy quickly shook her head.

"I won't tell anyone, you don't have to worry about that. Never been one for gossiping."

Another moment of silence passed.

"I am waiting."

Reyna said narrowing her eyes.

"Why is this important to you?"

"Oh... you see, I was asking because..."

Killjoy trailed off for a moment, internally debating if she should really just spill the beans. Considering that she was a horrible liar and that Reyna would probably not take kindly to being lied to, Killjoy decided the truth was the way to go. Besides, she was a proud and daring soldier, she wouldn't simply cower now.

"I like Dr. Sabine, ok? In that way. I think. I'm pretty sure I do. But I don't have any idea what I should do and I was hoping, well..."

Reyna had to concentrate to stop herself from starting to laugh in a very cruel manner. She was almost proud that a short snort was all that escaped her.

"You aren't seriously asking me for love-advice, are you? Last time I did I got Jett bullied by Skye for being quote on quote an edgy child"

"Well, I don't know who else to ask. Sage would only try and play the matchmaker. You are professional, level headed and a little icy. We have that in common, so I thought maybe you could help."

Killjoy didn't back down. She would see this through, now that she started it.

Reyna raised an eyebrow at a little icy but didn't comment on it. For a second Reyna actually contemplated to tell Killjoy where to stick it. But for some reason that didn't feel right to her. Still, Reyna had no idea what to tell Killjoy. Only one thing really came to mind.

"Listen, I am literally the worst person on this planet to ask for advice on this topic, because I have no idea myself. But if you like Sabine, why don't you just tell her? You are both adult women and I am sure you can behave the part. A word of warning though: Sabine said a couple of times that she is straight. I wouldn't get my hopes up."

Killjoy's face fell.

"But still talk to her. Communicating is important. God gave you a mouth, so use it. Life is too short for regrets."

Reyna said and felt her stomach turn as she spoke those words. She was a hypocrite for saying this.

"I need to leave now."

She stated quickly and had already fled before Killjoy could reply.

Reyna rushed out of the door in much a similar way that she had came in. Running, as it seemed, away from something. She didn't know how to tell Mirai.

She didn't know where to start.

Each step she took toward Sage's quarters made her more nervous. More afraid.

Her hand felt heavy when she finally knocked on the orange door. For what felt like years nothing happened before the orange obstacle moved out of the way.

Big brown eyes full of love looked at her with a goofy smile on her lips.

What was Reyna supposed to do? She felt so guilty.

Before Mirai could even greet her, Reyna had already pounced on her.

**\----------**

They hadn't left this room for god knows how long. And all the time they had been doing exactly the same thing.

Not that Mirai was in any way inclined to complain, after all, the sex with Amélie had been mind-blowingly good. Still, she couldn't help but think it might have been a mistake. That she made the wrong call, that she should have decided differently before. When there had been a knock on her door and she opened it without a thought. The surprisingly enthusiastic greeting she had gotten when Reyna came by two days prior had been fun, at least at first. Reyna had pushed them inside and kicked the door shut before she had pressed the pilot against the wall, kissing her roughly and with hunger. The Vampire had been all over her lover, eagerly demanding more.

And that had been the point where Mirai was now wondering if she should have put a stop to it all. If she should have taken a moment to consider the situation and decide differently.

But she hadn't. She had been taken by surprise, hadn't even moved at first, frozen in place and overwhelmed by the sensation of her lover's demanding caress. Sage had no idea what was happening to her, before she had already, out of pure instinct, kissed Reyna back. Tongues had been fighting each other in sloppy, wet kisses and faster than ever before Reyna's hands had been undressing her girlfriend, the woman she loved so much it scared her. There had been so much need in Reyna's eyes, in her touch. Such desperation and urgency, like she was afraid it would be the last time they got to spend time together like this. It was almost like Reyna had been certain about that.

Sage had experienced the various articles of clothing coming off in a state of dreaminess, she had been so lost in the sensation of Reyna ravaging her mouth, absolutely dominating her in a way she usually never did, while stripping her naked. It hadn't been until Mirai felt Reyna's cool hands sliding up her toned stomach when she had finally realized that she needed to put an end to this.

Mirai had noticed sooner that something wasn't right and yet she still hadn't had the willpower to stop it sooner. When she should have tried to find out what was going on, she had instead not done anything. At least not really. All she had done in that moment was to put her hands on Reyna's shoulders and tenderly pushed her off. Gently, carefully, but with determination. Mirai had meant to ask if this was a good idea, but she hadn't done it.

The look in Amélie's eyes had felt like a punch to the guts. Her eyes had been glazed over from almost spilled tears. Shame. Hurt. Loathing. All those emotions had played so clearly on Reyna's face it still gave Sage a chilly feeling even now that she was thinking back. It was so obvious all of a sudden and Mirai wondered how she didn't see it sooner. The whole air of dominance had vanished in an instant, replaced with desperation. Reyna hadn't even been able look her in the eyes, Mirai had to lift her chin up and toward her with her finger.

"What's wrong?"

Mirai had whispered, reaching up to now cup her lover's face gently into both of her hands.

"What happened?"

Reyna had squeezed her eyes shut for a second and only shook her head.

"P-Please"

She had pleaded, her voice bitter and pained.

"Not now... I... need this. Now. Please."

She had all but whispered.

And that had been the point where Mirai now, looking back, wondered if she might have made a mistake. Because no matter how hard the decision had been in that moment, she had felt like she had only one option. Of course, Mirai had been pondering the decision, she knew a part of her did feel like she should ask further questions and figure out what had been going on and then do something about it, but she also knew that this hadn't been what Reyna wanted in that moment.

Sage had been afraid that it would be a stupid mistake. It had been so obvious that Reyna needed comfort from whatever it was causing her such distress and even now Mirai rationalized that it hadn't been the first time they had been down this road. But usually Reyna told Mirai what had been bothering her before they got physical. But not this time. This time Mirai had only asked a weak

"You sure?"

"Si."

Had been the barely audible answer. Mirai had no idea if she had made the right call. But Reyna had never seemed more thankful then in this moment when Mirai had leaned into her and captured her lips with her own, initiating another rough, hard kiss.

Maybe they should have done the talking first. For the last couple of days, Mirai and Reyna didn't leave the bed. Which in itself was fun, but also kind of worrisome. Right now, they were both having a small break, cuddling. Reaching for her lover's hand as to say that everything was alright, they exchanged a small glance at each other, before Reyna quickly looked away again. It was almost as if she was afraid that looking too long at Sage would reveal her thoughts to the Chinese. Not that Sage would have minded one bit to find out about them. She could only guess. Yet Mirai would have been surprised to find out that Reyna's thoughts were almost at the same place as hers.

When Reyna had come back from Brimstone that day, she had been so scared that the one person who made her life worth living would go away if she told her what she had done to agent Phoenix. She was so afraid Mirai wouldn't approve. In fact, she knew that Sage wouldn't approve. She had no reason to.

Reyna wanted nothing more than to be open and upfront with Mirai about these things, but she couldn't. As much as she wanted to, she could not. Which meant she couldn't tell her that killing Phoenix had a reason. She couldn't tell her why he gave those order. She couldn't tell her why she was taking his orders in the first place now. The fact that it now seemed like killing Phoenix would have been avoidable and might not have been necessary in the end didn't make it easier at all. It just added another thing to the long list of problems Reyna couldn't tell Mirai about. Why had she obeyed her orders even if she knew they were wrong? It didn't make anything easier.

 _Just use your mouth and talk to her._ Oh, what a hypocrite she was, indeed.

All Reyna could tell Mirai was, that she did it again. That she killed. And that she loved the feeling. Despite knowing it wasn't right. Despite being sure that Phoenix didn't do what Brimstone thought he did. The Vampire still enjoyed the kill. The thrill. The rush. She loved it. It scared her. It ate away at her insides. But part of her wanted to do it again.

She had planned to tell Mirai at least that. But when she had opened the door, Reyna couldn't. She had needed Mirai in that moment, feel her, smell her, taste her, even if it would be for the last time.

She had decided to tell her afterward. Just one last time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened on this chapter:  
> XXXTENTACION - SAD!  
> Dua Lipa, BLACKPINK - Kiss And Make Up  
> Lewis Capaldi - Before You Go


	20. The Business

**Base: Haven, private quarters of Mirai Kimur, An hour later**

Mirai and Reyna were leaning against the wall behind the bed, the blanket falling loosely over their naked hips. Usually they would cuddle now, relish the feeling of heir soft bodies caressing each other in a soft embrace, but not this time. They both sat next to each other like stunned teenagers after their very awkward first time. Their elbows were the only part of their bodies which sporadically touched the other.

Even though they were both adequately exhausted, Reyna finally decided it was time to spill the beans and face the consequences. She started feeling like a coward. Reyna despised cowards.

So, with some reluctance in the beginning, she started to talk about Saskha. She spent at least half an hour telling her girlfriend what she had been doing while she had been on Brimstone's extra assignment. Not that she had mentioned even a word about it being an assignment from Brimstone or how most of what she did were her orders. Maybe she should have. Maybe it would have cleared things up more easily. But Reyna didn't. She felt her mouth moving on its own, while she herself was strangely disconnected to her own body, barely more than a spectator to the events.

Numbly Reyna explained how she tracked down Phoenix's male hooker, how she tricked him into opening the door for her and how she forced him to contact his employer under a made-up pretence. The assassin didn't look at Mirai as she went on, detailing every step along the way. She explained how they waited for Phoenix to arrive and how she proceeded to put them into a position suitable for her needs. It had been too easy.

At least the part where she had done it all had been.

The part where she had to tell Mirai about it, not so much.

Reyna choked a little, not really wanting to go on, but left with no other choice. She would do this now, she would say it. She had to do it. There had been a time when disobeying an order would have been unthinkable. But for Mirai...

"I killed him. Not only him, his little man whore too. It was textbook work, there is no way anyone would suspect a thing. It will look like murder-suicide."

Reyna stated distantly, tired eyes staring dead ahead, not daring to meet Mirai's. Reyna felt Sage's gaze burn holes into her cold skin, she thought she could feel Mirai's disappointment, her silent reproaches. Reyna was sure about that, she thought she knew exactly.

Mirai stared at her girlfriend with wide eyes, feeling like a whole train filled with trucks filled with bricks just overran her at full speed. Her brain tried to come up with a plausible reason, but failed miserably.

"Why?"

She managed somehow, her throat feeling sore and bitter. She didn't understand. Why would Reyna just go off to murder one of their own?

"Why would you do that?"

Sage wasn't sure what hurt more. The revelation that Reyna killed another innocent again or the way she was opening and closing her mouth, obviously fighting with herself over an answer. She was lost.

For the first time in a very long time, Mirai wasn't sure what she should do. Had all her trust and support been misplaced? She refused to believe this. There was no way she would have misjudged Reyna's character this fundamentally. There had to be a valid, logic reason to it. No matter how unlikely it seemed now. There had to be one.

Reyna wouldn't just run off and murder her own kind.

Would she?

No, no. There has to be a reason. There has to be more to it.

"Look at me, Reyna!"

Sage demanded and felt a punch to her guts when the Vampire complied. There was so much pain and sorrow in her beautiful purple eyes. So much hurt and despair. Mirai inhaled sharply.

"Why did you do that?"

There is more to it.

"...Sorry."

Reyna whispered. She couldn't tell Mirai. She couldn't. It was too important. If she told Mirai and Brimstone found out, the deal they had would be off. They needed to bring down Kingdom. Reyna couldn't tell Mirai for her own good, she couldn't. When everything was said and done, when -not if- Kingdom would be nothing more than a pile of burning ashes, then Reyna could tell Mirai the whole thing. But until then...

"Don't you dare be sorry for not telling me!"

Mirai barked.

"Don't you think I deserve to know what's going on after all you just told me? After all you-"

Sage stopped herself, her mouth snapping shut. Somewhere in the back of her mind a very disturbing thought suddenly began to take form, sticking its ugly head out toward the front and into her consciousness. It couldn't be. That was impossible... or was it?

The face Reyna made when she had opened her secret assignment from Brimstone flashed back into Mirai's face. The unreadable expression she had worn. Reyna had told her that she wouldn't like the orders she'd had received.

There is more to it.

"It was your assignment."

Mirai all but forced out to say.

"Your secret orders."

She gasped.

"Bloody hell Reyna please don't tell me you had orders to do that."

She pleaded, refusing to believe what that revelation would entail.

Reyna's eyes were wide as saucers and Mirai could see how she wrecked her brain to come up with a reply. More than a little reluctantly she managed an uncomfortable "I promised you that I'd never lie to you." She said and didn't add that Mirai had promised to not ask questions about her secret assignment. It was too late.

"Dear lord, Brimstone ordered you to kill Phoenix."

Mirai couldn't believe the words she was saying, but it suddenly made so much more sense. The ugly thought she had. It was true. Now she was absolutely certain that there was even more to it than she had thought. Still, it begged the question, what was the Commander playing at? Why did he tell Reyna to kill Phoenix? Plausible deniability? A scapegoat? That didn't sound like Brimstone. Something didn't fit. Mirai was missing an important piece of the puzzle. Still, the Commander had sent Reyna to assassinate someone.

"Si"

Reyna replied. She shouldn't have been surprised that Sage would be more than capable to make the connection between the secrecy about her assignment from the Commander and the murder of agent Phoenix. Maybe a part of Reyna had hoped that Mirai would figure it out.

"Why did you go along with that crap? Sweet mother of Jesus, why did he do that? What's going on?"

She demanded to know, reaching over to her girlfriend to turn her face toward her, so that she was forced to look at her. Pain and shame were still written all over Reyna's pretty features, her lips pushed into a fine line.

"Fucking hell, when I brought you here, you ending up doing Brimstone's dirty work for him wasn't exactly what I had in mind! I wanted you to have a good life. A life of your own. What does that bloody Yankee think he's doing?"

Mirai was fuming as she set her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders.

"And why are you going along with it? Why are you doing this? What did Phoenix do? Is this what you really want, Reyna? Are you really doing this because you want?"

The Vampire felt cornered like never before in her life. A feeling she usually didn't handle well at all.

"Si!"

she admitted.

"I did it for you,cariño. For you. So you'd be save."

That felt like a slap to the face to Mirai.

"M-me? How does killing Phoenix help me? Reyna, dear, I love you, but... I don't want you to kill people like that."

The Vampire needed to find a way out of this particular corner. She needed to give her lover something to work with. Something which wasn't the whole truth behind the deal. This way, maybe, she would be able to honor her promise to Brimstone and to Mirai alike.

"Remember when I told you that I went to him after you were hurt in Switzerland?"

Reyna asked with an uncharacteristically small voice. It made her seem so fragile and vulnerable, a state no one else but Mirai would ever get to see and live to tell the tale.

Sage nodded, silently urging Reyna to continue. The bigger picture eluded her. Maybe it would all make sense.

"I told you that he had his reasons... And they were really good reasons. I overheard something I shouldn't have heard."

Reyna's lower lip started quivering.

"I promise you, I'm doing this for you and me, for us, I swear! You know I'd do anything for you, anything you want, but this is... greater than you and me. It's better if you don't know. You need to trust me for this, please. Te lo ruego, querida. I'm sorry,please don't hate me for this. I just want you to be safe."

Reyna fidgeted around on her place in the bed, nervously playing with her fingernails, as she kept stealing quick glances of Mirai. She hated this discussion, she hated every moment of it, hated that she couldn't tell Mirai. But Reyna thought back to the horrifying image of Sage being held captive by Kingdom and knew that she had to do everything within her capabilities to ensure that would never come to be. The thought of being left by Sage just to keep her out of harm's way was mortifying to a degree where it made Reyna nauseous.

"Just... please..."

She said in a barely audible whisper.

"I said I'd never lie to you... but... please don't... don't make me tell you..."

Mirai shook her head ever so slightly, signaling that she didn't have any intention of making Reyna do that. It wouldn't have been right. Of course she wanted to know what happened exactly, but she trusted Reyna implicitly. Her girlfriend had a reason to be so distraught about this matter, so pressing it would have been wrong. Sage was sure that Reyna had given Brimstone a promise to not discuss this matter with anyone. She just hoped for his sake that the commander didn't force that promise out of Reyna. Orders and promises, were ingrained into Reyna's mind, Mirai knew. She couldn't defy them easily.

"There is more..."

Reyna forced herself to go on.

"It's ok..."

"No, it isn't..."

She inhaled sharply. There was no point in hiding this now. Reyna didn't want to appear like she was left with no other choice, because she could have just walked away. She didn't.

"I enjoyed it. The hunt, laying out the trap, the moment when I had them where I needed them, when I made them seal their own fates by sitting them down on the couch. They had no idea what was going on. It was such a rush. Making Phoenix pull the trigger before forcing him to shoot himself, too. I enjoyed that so much."

She confessed.

"I know it's not normal. But I can't help it. I really can't. I tried so hard to not like it, but it's... it gives me pleasure. And there is nothing I can do against it Please don't hate me, Mirai."

Reyna's voice was barely more than a whisper while she played with the nails of her thumbs. The clicking noise was almost louder than her voice.

"I'll do anything you want, just... don't hate me."

She swallowed audibly, forcing her hands still.

"Don't leave me."

The words stung. Like needles into a badly healed wound they stung.

At a loss for words, Mirai said nothing. For a solid minute, she said nothing. They had been at this point so many times before, so many endless reassurances, so many whispered sweet nothings, so many promises that she would never go anywhere. Reyna was still scared of being abandoned, of being left alone. Scared that Sage, the only person that ever truly meant something to her, would grow tired of her antics.

Sage looked at her girlfriend coming apart like that and for some reason knew exactly what was happening. She could see why Reyna did what she did. She knew why she acted the way she did. None of this would have happened if the Vampire wouldn't have been so utterly fucked up by other people or if her mental weaknesses wouldn't have been exploited someone who obviously didn't know better. Right about now Sage cursed the day Reyna asked Skye to not put anything about her mental problems into her file. She had been ashamed of it. But maybe it would have told Brimstone some things he shouldn't do. Like give her direct orders. Or make her promise stuff.

Mirai was furious inside. Boiling with anger, seething with rage.

But not at Reyna.

Yet again Sage found herself angry beyond reasonable comparison at someone she never even saw before. There were times when it was all too easy to forget what happened to Reyna once you got used to her purple eyes and inhumanly cold skin. And Mirai got used to it a long time ago, to a point where she found herself actually surprised how hot other people felt. It was so easy to think that Reyna was just another completely normal woman, so easy to forget what had been done to her. But that didn't change the fact that the Vampire was no normal woman.

She was furious at Brimstone for daring to use Reyna's engraved loyalty to his advantage, angry at the fact that he made her what she used to be. An assassin for the Mexican cartel. She gave the Commander the benefit of the doubt and allowed that he didn't know any better.

Be that as it may, whatever Brimstone was playing at, Sage would have a word with him. Soon. In private. And she would give him a piece of her mind. Because no matter how she twisted and turned it, in the end Reyna was the victim. She had to carry the burden, face the ghosts which would haunt her and deal with the impossible situations it would place her in. Situations like the one they were in right in this moment, with a completely distraught, upset and almost hysterical Reyna, who was scared to death of being alone again. I'll do anything you want, just... don't hate me. Don't leave me. Mirai heard those words in the back of her mind over and over again. It made her shiver.

Damn them all. Damn Brimstone. Damn Kingdom. It's all their fault she is like this. Those are some pretty serious abandonment issues, love. And I have no idea how to take them away from you. I tried, believe me, I tried, but oh god I don't know how I can make you see. How I can make you realize that I'm not going anywhere. I want to help you so bad, I want to take all that pain away from you. Just tell me how. Tell me how I can make you smile and laugh again.

"Cariño?"

"Mh?"

"Please say something..."

Mirai didn't, instead she just got up from bed and started putting on her clothes. She made it into her undies and halfway into her pants before she noticed Reyna's questioning and borderline hurt gaze. Giving her a gentle smile, Mirai moved toward her dresser and picked one of Reyna's outfits stored there, handing it to her lover.

Reyna felt her heart stop and sink into her pocket, but she wordlessly followed Mirai's example and got dressed, mentally preparing to be kicked out. Her hands felt numb, to a point where it was almost impossible to close the buttons of the black blouse Mirai had handed her. What would she do now? She was actually only a moment away from simply telling Mirai everything. She was only moments away from spilling very last detail in a panicked attempt to not be left alone. But just when Reyna inhaled to speak up, Sage beat her to it.

"Let's get something to eat, ok? The world looks better with something to eat."

She said with a warm, loving smile on her lips, holding out a hand for Reyna to take.

"I'm not mad. Let's go."

She thought that maybe, if they'd just go about a fairly normal daily routine, Reyna would calm down and relax a little. If Mirai showed her that she wasn't going anywhere, maybe they could have another discussion in the afternoon. One not loaded with emotions.

Blinking, and utterly confused about what was happening, but happy to have some more time with Mirai, Reyna reached for the warm, soft hand and offered no protest when she followed Mirai through the corridors of Haven. By now the sun was already on the rise, standing more than half way above the horizon. The light was bright and warm, completely contradicting the way Reyna felt.

The walk toward the mess-hall was spent in silence yet again, but at least Mirai didn't let go of Reyna's hand, dragging the feared assassin behind her. That was until they reached their destination and Sage let go of Reyna's hand in the end.

They stopped and Reyna looked at Sage for a moment, but said nothing.

It's not like you need to be ashamed because of your girlfriend or something. Killjoy's words from the other day were echoing in Reyna's mind. As much as she tried, they wouldn't go away either. Automatically following Mirai into the mess hall, where the two were dutifully lining up at the end of the line waiting to get their food, Reyna allowed herself a moment of reflection about their relationship. Truth to be told, she didn't have the first clue where they stood. There was a time when their secrecy about their relationship made perfect sense. But Reyna had to wonder why they still kept it going. They never really talked about it. Was it maybe what Mirai wanted?

Being late morning, it was obviously breakfast time. As expected the mess hall was filled with all sorts of people, technicians, soldiers and security personal, maintenance-crews and agents. People were running around with tablets filled with scrambled eggs and bacon, with cereals or bread and jam. The waitresses were re-filling everyone's coffee or serving the people's plates who were waiting in a line at the buffet. Mirai and Reyna were at the end of the very same line.

The curious thing was, the man in front of them was no one else than Cypher. The Morrocan spy.

"Oi, Aamir."

Mirai said with a frown.

"Why are you lining up at the serving counter? Not to be mean or anything, but it's not like you can eat food, can you?"

Cypher slowly turned around.

"Greetings."

He offered with his usual calm and peaceful voice.

"That's where you are wrong, my dear old friend"

Tearing away the bandana that concealed the lower half of his face Cypher soon revealed to the couple the humanlike mouth now built into his head. The structure of it was all normal until they saw his luminescent cyan tongue and the sparking wires and twisting gears at the back of his throat.

Sage laughed awkwardly.

"Nah, not weird at all. Not weird at all"

"It's of no importance for you. I have to say, though, it's good to see you two together. You make for a fitting couple, if I dare say so-"

"Shh!"

Sage hissed, glancing over at Reyna. Her girlfriend always got so uncomfortable in public. Mirai wanted her to spare the attention.

"No one knows."

Sage had no idea about the thoughts Reyna actually had. She thought that she was doing something good for her girlfriend. To her keeping up the secrecy had a crystal clear reason. Reyna was not used to attention in public and preferred to be left alone. Mirai didn't want her to feel uncomfortable by holding hands in public or short PDAs.

"You're ashamed of me, aren't you?"

The Vampire asked quietly. Mirai's jaw literally dropped. What?!

"Ashamed of being with someone like me."

Reyna continued in a whisper, and tried to smile. It wasn't like she could blame Mirai for it. Her girlfriend was so well respected, so many people looked up to her. She was a role model.

"It's ok. Really, I understand. Everyone would give you a hard time. Especially now..."

Reyna tried to pull off another supportive smile, but it only looked tortured.

"Don't worry, I don't mind being your dirty little secret. As long as we can be together behind closed doors, I don't mind. Just... I want to know."

She spoke in such a hushed voice that there was no way anyone could have overheard them. Maybe Cypher right in front of them, but he had artificial hearing. For any organic ear, the noise in the mess hall would have been too loud to overhear them.

Sage stared at Mirai with an open mouth, so taken aback by what she was hearing that no immediate reply came to mind. It was a huge wasteland in her head, the lone tumbleweed rolling past at high noon. All the time she wanted to help Reyna. All the time she had been causing damage. She should have known better.

Damn love, you take abandonment issues to a whole new level. Damn... what do I do...

And then it hit Mirai. Like lightning in a thunderstorm it shot through her. She grabbed Reyna's hand again and without a word she dragged her away into the middle of the mess hall.

Mirai made it exactly two steps before the first colleagues of hers noticed her presence. Or better yet, noticed the fact that she was holding hands with the Vampire. Many eyes were on them, all filled with a certain kind of curiosity. The former military soldier quickly found a table in the middle of the mess hall, occupied by Breach and Sova.

"Sorry you two,"

She said with a cheeky wink, letting go of Reyna yet again, before she effortlessly jumped on the table with one quick step. Breach was barely able to save his cereal from certain doom in form of being kicked over and Sova instinctively grabbed on to his cup of tea, thus saving the liquid from an equally permanent demise. It was very dishonourable to spill tea after all.

Sage cleared her throat loudly, but not before smiling at Reyna for another time. Whatever was going to happen, Reyna had that feeling that it was not going to be good. She knew that look on Mirai's face and usually it was never followed by something productive.

"Folks, may I have your attention for a minute?"

Sage shouted at the top of her lungs, to make her presence known to the busy lot in the mess hall. Everyone was going about their own business, but Mirai wanted their minds focused on her. It worked. A few moments passed and the constant background talking, the rattling of dishes and the footsteps on the ground did indeed quiet down until it was almost completely silent. Mirai smiled at how smoothly that worked and turned around once to see if everyone was paying her attention. She did spot Skye, her ginger mane and shining emerald-green eyes were hard to miss, sitting on a table together with Viper and Killjoy, but other than them and the two she annexed the table from, Mirai didn't spot anyone she immediately recognized.

Mirai could have sworn that the mild smile on Skye's face showed that the doctor had a pretty good idea of what would follow. But her friend smiled a lot, so she couldn't be sure. It didn't really matter either, the former military soldier would see this through and maybe take away one of the largest concerns of her lover once and for all. It would be worth it.

"Thank you!"

Sage said loudly.

"There is something I want to tell you all. You might not see where I am going with this immediately or why I am telling you about this, but please bear with me for a bit. It will all make sense eventually. And since you all like to gossip anyway, you'll all love this."

She took a deep breath. This was the right thing to do. It needed to be done. No more hiding.

Fuck it.

"So, here it goes. For the past year, give or take a little, I have been with the love of my life. The person who makes me smile, laugh, sometimes cry, but who makes me, overall, wholly happy."

Mirai paused when some people expressed their approval, but quickly continued.

"You all know how I swing. You lot all know that I have a certain preference for the fairer sex."

She said and was forced to pause again when someone spoke up.

"You mean you're too gay to draw a straight line!"

Someone tossed in and everyone else joined in a short round of good-willed laughter. Sage herself giggled a little.

"Well, I can't deny that. And I never made a secret about my sexuality either. I was always upfront and honest with it. However, I have kept the existence of my girlfriend, the woman I truly love from the bottom of my heart, a secret, because I feared how you all would react. Not toward me, I can handle you all just fine. I was afraid of how you all would be to her. But today my girl asked me if I was ashamed of her."

Mirai paused and noticed how the room had gotten strangely silent. Usually there was always some kind of background noise, as it would be expected from a mess hall this size, filled with people. Someone always coughed, dropped a fork, cleared a throat or moved a plate. Not this time. It was silent.

"That is something I will not accept or tolerate. I will not allow even a moment of doubt of where my loyalties are or how my priorities are sorted. Because as far as I have influence over this matter, she will always come first, just like I am sure that you all will put your families first. If there is one reason we all fight for what is right it's our homes, our families, the ones we love. And that is fine, it's how it should be. Without family we might just as well not fight at all, because what would be the point? It's what makes us who we are. There is nothing more important than family."

Mirai was interrupted by a wave of agreement before she could continue.

"So, I am here to tell you all that for the past year, I have been in an intimate relationship with none other than Agent Reyna. You all might know her better as The Vampire, the infamous Succubus from the Mexican cartel. She is my family. The reason I fight."

Mirai gestured toward an obviously stunned Mexican woman, who did not enjoy the attention of the entire mess hall for even a microsecond. If glances could kill, Reyna would just have committed mass murder.

"What are you staring at me for, eh? Never seen my face around here? Mirai is talking, not me!"

Reyna hissed, trying to hide how deeply moved she was. If she wasn't in public, she'd be smiling like an idiot. She hadn't expected that. Not at all. But it was very much welcome.

A surprised murmur was going through the crowd, no one really sure what to think or do and Mirai didn't really leave them time to figure it out either, as she continued:

"I am well aware that she isn't exactly a popular face around here. And I know that she can come across as a little rude at times."

Mirai made eye contact when she said that, but Reyna just shrugged.

"Many of you are convinced that she has ulterior motives for being here and some of you were rather vocal about those opinions too. And you would be completely correct. The Vampire didn't come here only because she was fed up with the cartel. She didn't come here simply because she saw a way out when she saved my life. She has an ulterior motive for being here.

Me.

I'm her ulterior motive. She is here because of. Put up with all your hostilities because she wanted to be with me. I'm the reason she is here."

"I know that most of you think of me as their friend and it's really great that we get along so well. But if you really want to be my friends, I ask you to accept who my heart has chosen. Because no matter what, I cannot and will not change my mind about this. If it comes down to it, I will chose Reyna, even if it means leaving all this behind. I love her so much, that I chased her time after time again, until I finally got through to her, until I was finally able to bring her here. Away from Kingdom and to us. To me. Family, remember?

I want you all to know that I never betrayed anyone of you while doing this. She is here with me now, not the other way round. I would be at the cartel with her if that was the case. But I am not. I promise you that Reyna means you no harm. That said, I once again ask you to accept this. Us. You don't need to understand it. But accept it. Otherwise, I'm sorry to tell you, that you can all go and kiss my gay ass. I made my choice."

And with that Sage reached down to a completely stunned Reyna and pulled her onto the table, where she pulled her into a tight embrace, giving her the mother of all scandalous kisses, filled with burning hot passion, her hand on the small of Reyna's back, the other burying in her hair.

They didn't even notice how the stunned silence of the mess hall continued.

Mirai broke away from Reyna, leaving a thin line of salvia spreading between their lips, which quickly disappeared. Sage was still holding her girlfriend tightly, preparing to just walk away from it all. It would have been worth it. Screw Brimstone if he dared to mess with Reyna. He would get his talk, oh yes. That was right up there on Sage's agenda.

In the meantime, Breach had gotten up. The augmented human stomped toward the middle, looking as pissed off as always.

"What are you all gawking at, eh? Ohhh-hoo, she's gay, biiiig surprise. Never seen a happy couple before?"

He shouted.

"Would have anyone of you had the balls to admit something like that?"

Silence.

"No! No, you wouldn't. Sage has more balls then we all together. They're happy together, so at least have the decency to act like human beings and be happy for them! Now get off your sorry asses and give them a round of applause! Where are you manners?"

He roared. Breach could be really scary when he was angry. It was probably the way he waved around his prosthetic hands to emphasize his point and the way his face contorted in burning fury. The Swedish thief commanded authority and respect like very few others could. So when he gave the whole of Valorant a lecture, people actually listened. His word had weight.

There was a bit of delay before the first clapping sounds started.

But it happened none the less.

Reyna seemed slightly uncomfortable as the applause started getting louder, so she glanced over at Mirai for some pointers on what to do now. But Mirai could only grin at her as they were applauded. She pulled her bronzed girlfriend.

"Still think I'm ashamed of you?"

She asked and Reyna only shook her head with wet eyes.

"I will always stand right next to you. No matter what."

Mirai couldn't stop smiling.

"Get that into that stubborn head of yours. Otherwise I'll have to write you a note."

"I love you, Mirai."

She choked out, not caring about anyone seeing her cry and laugh at the same time.

"I love you so much."

She said and gave her girlfriend another kiss, salty from her tears of joy and relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Knox Brown, Gallant - Reignite  
> Stela Cole - Love Like Mine  
> HONNE - no song without you


	21. After Party

**Tactical Command Center, office of Commander Brimstone, approximately three hours later**

Brimstone had no idea that his overall rather quiet and uneventful day was about to take a steep dive into the proverbial shit. Then again, he probably was halfway expecting something to go wrong at some point. It wasn't even time for lunch yet and nothing important or worth noting happened so far. Nothing. There wasn't even something as petty as someone spilling coffee.

If his long years as commander of Valorant had taught him one thing and one thing alone, it would have been that there was no such thing as a quiet day. It simply didn't exist. Each day came with a fixed dose of bullshit, usually spread out evenly over the course of 24 hours. The longer it took for him to be confronted with the first sign of said load of cattle excrements, the more severe the event usually was on his shit-o-meter.

Brimstone knew that the peaceful hours of his day came to a rather abrupt end in the exact same second the glass door into his office flew open with a bang, giving way to a 5'4" short war machine, better known as Sage. The look on her face could optimistically be described as royally pissed and the Commander prepared to buckle up in his chair. Not that it came with any seatbelts, but metaphorically speaking.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know what Kimur could have possibly been upset about. The list of things Brimstone did which Mirai would even care about enough in the first place to feel the need of talking to him about were easily counted on one hand. With four amputated fingers.

He was well aware of that.

The commander should have known better than to think that the Vampire would be capable of not telling her girlfriend anything about what she was doing. Realistically it was hardly possible to keep everything a secret. She fancied Mirai enough that the assassin had almost killed him after Switzerland. Reyna was a woman of absolute extremes. She was like an overly aggressive guard dog in many ways. There was no way she'd ever harm a hair on Mirai's head, but if someone decided they had a problem with Mirai, Reyna would tear them apart. Something he remembered all too well. That was a kind of loyalty Brimstone could not help but respect. The Vampire put her partner before anything else. Family must always come first, a philosophy he had mostly taken from Breach, since the commander himself had no family of his own.

Brimstone just hoped that Reyna had refrained from telling Mirai the whole story about how Valorant struck a deal with Kingdom just for information about a higher threat, Alt Skye was the messenger. If she had told her about killing Phoenix and secretly working for him now, he could deal with that. It was simply a matter of convincing Sage that he needed Reyna's talent for hunting down Kingdom. Which wasn't even a lie. It was hardly a secret, most of his agents were in the field against Kingdom operatives anyway. The difference was their goal. The way they worked.

The question was, could he adequately convince one pigheaded Mirai Kimur of that? It wasn't like he'd lie to her. He would just not tell her the whole truth. The problem was that Sage was stubborn as a donkey and a lot smarter than what was good for her. A quality he usually appreciated greatly.

He'd have to wait and see, since Kimur had already stomped over from the door to his desk.

"Commander."

Sage hissed. Which was in itself so rare that most people didn't know Mirai was even capable of doing anything remotely reminiscent of hissing, but when she did, it was the sound of pure venom. You usually knew exactly that you were about to receive the shit end of the stick.

Brimstone leveled his view on his subordinate and sighed.

"What can I do for you, Agent Kimur?"

He asked, feigning ignorance and keeping his calm. The angry spark in Mirai's eyes was a cause for mild concern.

"Permission to speak freely?"

She forced out. Brimstone had to give her credit that she was willing to follow protocol until this point, because even a blind man would have seen that the woman was seething. Any more and there would have been steam coming out of her ears.

"You'll do so anyway, so granted."

The words haven't even fully left his mouth before Sage exploded.

"What the hell is going on? Why are you sending Reyna on secret assassination missions? With all due respect, Sir, but have you lost your mind? You can't just send her on missions to kill random people!"

Brimstone blinked.

"You aren't supposed to know that."

He stated, deciding it was best to keep her focused on this part.

"Do you hold me for a fool, Commander? Do you? Who do you think has to fix the psychological stress your assignments have caused for her, hm?"

Sage pointed at her face.

"This girl. Me. I do. I demand some answers why you deem it necessary to cause my girlfriend such emotional distress!"

Sage snarled.

Now that one was actually new. Had Brimstone not known long before, he would have been surprised. He had heard that Mirai decided to make a little public announcement in front of everyone this morning, but didn't pay it much mind.

"Your girlfriend, Agent?"

He asked, pretending to be surprised.

"My girlfriend of quite some time, Commander. Is that a problem to you, Sir?"

Sage hissed, somehow managing to let sir sound like an insult.

Brimstone let out a long and heavy sigh. What was it with people always thinking that he'd be opposed to this relationship, or that relationship or whatever else. As long as it didn't affect their work performance, he couldn't care less. Fraternization rules? Ridiculous.

"Lady Reyna is an adult woman, as are you. I have no right to judge."

"Good."

Sage stated.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like some answers, Brimstone. I trusted you with my life. But lately I can't help but get the feeling that you're doing some funny things. What's going on? What you are using Reyna for,"

Mirai spat the word out like it was bitter.

"Reminds me an awful lot of Kingdom. Secret assassinations? Have we sunk so far already?"

That had struck a nerve in Brimstone. That Sage, one of his best and most valued agents, would express a loss of trust in him was not to be taken lightly. It was not to be underestimated and something which had to be fixed. Also, he hadn't thought she'd go for the morale part of everything and draw some painful comparisons between the enemy and his tactics. Still, he had to play a role here.

"Agent Kimur, no matter how much I appreciate your work and value as one of the best field agents I have ever had the honor of working with, I am not at liberty to disclose the exact reasons, proceedings and motivations of top secret missions to you."

Brimstone stated firmly.

To her own surprise, Mirai managed to not roll her eyes.

"I'm not asking you to disclose top secret information to me. I never once asked about any details before, did I? All I want to know is why you're sending my girlfriend out to kill people. And I want you to allow her to speak to me about it. Because it's breaking her apart. I don't know why you think it's ok to put her back to duty in such a fashion, but I really want to believe you have a reason. Otherwise I'm sure you wouldn't go past Dr. Skye's explicit recommendations regarding Reyna's mental state. I hate to say it like this, but she isn't exactly stable, Brimstone"

He should have known better than to assume that Sage had no idea about what Skye recommended to him regarding the Vampire's mental and physical health. This wasn't going where he expected at all. The problem was that Mirai had already dropped a hint or two about his trustworthiness. He couldn't afford to lose one of his best agent's trust in him now. Then again, he couldn't tell Sage too much either, because he could never be sure who was playing for which team. A very alarming thought suddenly hit him. How close had Sage gotten to the enemy? How close had she gotten to Kingdom? He forced the thought out of his head. It was ridiculous, he knew for sure. There was no question where Mirai Kimur's loyalties were. Not the shadow of a doubt. He would not allow his own paranoia to destroy that.

"All I can tell you is, that Lady Reyna decided to participate in this endeavor on her own free will. It was her choice."

Brimstone said, hoping that it would serve to show that he didn't force Reyna to do anything. Well, apart from forcing her to not strangle him to death.

Sage's eyelid twitched. She'd murder him. She knew it. She'd murder him any moment now.

"That's it?"

Brimstone sighed heavily and leaned forward on his desk, folding his hands over each other.

"Alright Mirai, let's lay it on the line."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, not completely certain if telling Mirai was the best idea he ever had. Then again, what choice did he really have? It wasn't like Kimur would just give up. She'd dig around and that digging would involve some questioning of Reyna. Sure, Reyna promised she wouldn't tell Mirai, but he had no idea how long that promise would hold up against Mirai trying to get what she wants. No, he was better off giving her something, this way he could at least control how much and which information she'd have.

"You know we are hunting Talon."

"We have done little else in the past years, have we now?"

Sage replied with a shrug that said no shit Sherlock.

"True, but what the Vampire is currently doing for me is a little different. So far, we have tried, more or less successfully, to deny Kingdom's critical supplies, place fake intelligence or sabotage their missions. That's not what Reyna is doing. She's on a dedicated kill shot mission. Elimination of high value Kingdom targets. Her only goal is to find and eliminate the instigators and collaborators of Kingdom. I don't think I need to explain why took her up on the offer. Her skills as a marksman are above and beyond anything we have ever seen at Valorant. Choosing her was the logical thing to do, given the importance of her assignment. The mission is sanctioned by people higher up in the command chain than me, so rest assured that I haven't gone rogue."

Brimstone explained calmly, watching as the words sunk into Sage. She blinked slowly, realization dawning on her only bit by bit.

"Hang on just a moment there."

She spoke up with a frown on her forehead.

"Higher ups? Which higher ups? I thought we operate kind of illegally since... forever?"

Brimstone grumbled.

"Which is true. Which doesn't mean I don't have superiors."

He said with a serious look on his face.

Tick

Tock

Tick

And the penny fell.

"Understood, Sir."

Sage replied evenly, feeling that this particular line of questioning was well beyond her pay grade.

"Good."

Brimstone nodded.

"As for the events in Russia. We had intelligence that Phoenix was collaborating with Kingdom, providing them with advanced weaponry and armament. I don't need to tell you why it's not desirable for us to have Kingdom run around with Valorant tech. Since agent Phoenix had seemingly violated an agreement we had by apparently providing the enemy with equipment, I decided that he was no longer trustworthy. In his position he was too much a risk, which is the reason why I gave the order to eliminate him."

"Sorry to interrupt again, but holy shit Phoenix sold weapons to Kingdom? I didn't think he'd do that. He always seemed to be loyal to his people."

Sage mused.

"Yes..."

Brimstone sighed. He regretted what he had done to Phoenix. He had been a friend of sorts. He should have been more careful.

"He was. The intelligence pointing us to him had been faked. He declined the deal with Kingdom, but we didn't know that."

"So Reyna killed her for nothing?"

Mirai gasped.

"I'm afraid so. She, however, did exactly as she was asked to do. Lady Reyna offered her skills for disposing of Kingdom affiliated targets in exchange for impunity. I admit that maybe it wasn't my wisest choice, but I needed someone who would and could pull the trigger. The Vampire did. That Phoenix was innocent in the end is not her fault. As I already said, we need her skills, Sage."

"Why didn't she just say so, dammit?"

Sage felt her hands ball into fists.

"She wasn't allowed to disclose information regarding that mission to anyone."

Brimstone replied.

"If you promise to never speak of this mission again to anyone but her, I can allow Lady Reyna to discuss certain aspects of it with you, just as you asked me to. Do you think this would be beneficial to her mental health?"

Her fists tightened further, and she felt her nails digging into her skin.

"It would be beneficial to her mental health to not do that kind of work at all, boss."

Sage said between gritted teeth.

"She isn't ready for that kind of work yet. She isn't ready to get orders again... you don't understand."

Mirai took a deep breath forcing herself to relax. She tried to find the words to explain what she saw so clearly in front of her, without telling Brimstone more than he needed to know about Reyna's private problems.

"Her unfortunate life conditioned her to follow orders. They made her obedient. Now you said she offered her help and wants to do that, and I believe you, because she told me the same thing. She wants to help. She sees Kingdom for the enemy they are. I'm just worried that a lot of that hard earned progress will be destroyed again. You know, that some of her original features might come back."

Brimstone inhaled sharply. He couldn't honestly say that he liked Sage's complaint, but neither could he disregard her point either. Something the Vampire said during their secret debriefing after Saskha came back to him.

You need to understand that once you point the finger at someone and say kill I will do that.

Suddenly that statement had a whole new aspect to it. A concerning, important, and downright scary aspect.

"I will be careful how I will phrase Reyna's future assignments and make sure they will not sound like orders, but instead like polite inquires asking for her help. Beyond that we don't have another choice. As I said, we need her skills, Mirai. We really do. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but it's all I can offer."

Brimstone spoke with his best diplomatic voice.

There was a moment of silence in which Sage apparently thought about Brimstone's offer. Realistically she knew that it was for the best. She knew that Reyna wanted to fight against Kingdom and bring them down. Personal revenge in this case, but Mirai didn't care. It was fair enough. She had no right to take that revenge away from Reyna. Sage could only make sure that her girlfriend would not be exposed to any needless danger. Danger beyond what their usual dose was in their line of work anyway. Maybe having someone like Brimstone on the top doing the planning and preparations wasn't so bad?

"Fine."

Mirai grumbled.

"Fine. You always led us well, Commander. I trust you. If you say it's necessary, then who am I to say something else."

The words felt heavy in Mirai's mouth. She was a soldier and duty came first. She would have left Overwatch for Reyna, sure. But as long as they were both here, she would do her part. If Reyna worked to bring down Kingdom, Sage would be right there with her.

"You can count on me, too. Should you need someone for a two person gig."

"Noted."

Brimstone nodded.

"Dismissed, Agent Kimur."

"Boss."

Mirai saluted and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Mirai?"

The Commander called out once again, when Sage had the door handle already in her hand. She turned back to him.

"Not a single word to anyone but Reyna. We can't afford for this to spread. The hunt for Kingdom is one thing, but the assignment Reyna has goes well beyond that."

"You got it, boss."

Sage said and wanted to leave, but stopped herself in the last moment. There was a thought suddenly appearing in her head. The secrecy. The fact that Reyna worked directly for Brimstone and no one knew. The fact that they decided to kill anyone who seemed to have some connection to Kingdom. Could it be that...

"Do you think we have a mole?"

"We don't know. We already had one. Another setback is not an option."

"I won't ask."

"Good. Because I won't answer."

He said and watched as Sage left his office. He let out a sigh of relief which he didn't know he had been holding. That indeed did go a lot better than he would have thought. At least one of his issues was out of the way now. If anything, the talk with Kimur would further improve Reyna's combat effectiveness.

Somewhere along the line he had forgotten that no matter how cruel and brutally cold she seemed most of the time, Reyna was still human. She had needs and wishes and fears like everyone else, and he had to admit to a shortcoming on his behalf to adequately take them into consideration. He had always taken great pride in the way he treated his agents and subordinates. He usually tried his best to give them anything and everything they could need. Why had he not done the same for agent Reyna? The better she worked, the better were their chances for success. Defeat was no option.

Mirai exited the command center with a feeling of relief. The talk with Brimstone had gone way better than she imagined. When she came in she was ready to gut the man, but the more she talked with him, the more she understood that whatever was going on right now was a lot more complex than she initially imagined.

They were soldiers. And soldiers were meant for war. The commander had done everything in his power to alleviate Sage's concerns regarding Reyna. Which was really all she could ask for. He had been right about Reyna being an adult woman who has to make her own choices. Mirai wouldn't stand in the way of that at all. All she could and would do was making sure that Reyna got a fair choice.

And so it happened that Mirai left in a much brighter mood than she came. She walked around the corner of the corridor leading away from the command center and headed for the elevator. Not a second after she had pressed the button the doors already opened, and Mirai was happy to see Jett standing inside already. She was wearing her usual attire however her jacket was unzipped and halfway hanging around her hips. Underneath she opted for a grey cropped top showing much of Jett's perfectly flat and well-toned belly. Her white hair was pulled up in a messy topknot, while she had a lollipop almost clenched between her teeth.

"Unnie!"

Jett exclaimed happily, taking the lollipop out of her mouth.

"How are you?"

"Great, Jett, thank you."

Mirai replied with a smile. She had to admit, Jett was really good looking. Just the right combination of sexy tease and cute innocence.

"I'm heading for the shooting range,"

Jett explained,

"Want to join?"

Sage had nothing better to do and she could use some practice anyway, so she nodded.

"Sure thing, bud. Let's go."

The two women felt the elevator moving again and after a few moments the doors opened, letting them step out of the glass cylinder into the workshop of Cypher, where the engineer was, as usual, busy at work.

Surprising was only the project he was currently working on. The cyborg was standing on a stool behind a person Mirai would recognize in her sleep. Aamir was apparently busy adjusting something on the neck of the uniform that person was wearing, while said person was holding her long, purple and black hair out of the way.

"Tell me if it's too tight, will you?"

Cypher mumbled into his sleeve.

"Would be a shame if I'd strangle you to death."

"Si, si. It's alright. You'd notice if you were close to strangling me."

Was Reyna's dry reply. Cypher only chuckled, probably imagining how she'd kick his ass off the stool and into the next wall in an equally violent and graceful roundhouse kick.

Sage had to admit that she hadn't at all expected to find her gorgeous girlfriend down here in Cypher's workshop. Not that she was about to complain. Oh no, definitely not. She couldn't help but smile goofily as she took in Reyna's new outfit. It was made of a shining leathery material and kept mostly in black, except for some red parts which seemed to stylize a corset. There was a utility belt filled with various gimmicks hanging around Reyna's amazing hips, armored boots up to her knees and precision gloves. A combat knife was strapped to Reyna's upper left thigh and attached to the utility belt were also straps securing a currently empty holster to her other thigh. The dark leather, at least Mirai hoped it was leather, for it was rather shiny, wasn't the only kind of protection to the Vampire's new getup. There was an elaborate looking metal system running down her spine and over her shoulders, closing around her neck. The one Cypher was currently working on.

"Oi, why didn't you tell me you'll be outfitted for cool new gear?"

Mirai asked as she walked up to Reyna. Her girlfriend looked smoking. Sage liked it a lot. So much in fact that she completely missed Jett's condescending expression.

"I didn't know myself."

Reyna shrugged.

"That grumpy man abducted me."

"Don't move!"

Cypher exclaimed, ignoring the jab in his direction. It wasn't like he could really argue with him being a little grumpy from time to time.

"I'm still adjusting those microsensors!"

He admonished, grumbling something about not letting Reyna run around in a bodysuit made only out of leather and latex.

"Lo siento"

Reyna said and had a one sided smile on her lips, casting a small glance over to Jett.

"What's with the cloudy face, niña?"

"Why would I be happy to see you of all people?"

Jett snapped

"You're just a mean bully!"

She hissed, earning a tired sigh from Sage. How was she supposed to convince Jett that Reyna didn't mean for her flirting attempts to go awry? And even more importantly, how was she supposed to let her know that they were quite the opposite of enemies and had been for quite some time. It wasn't like they could just kiss randomly in front of Jett. Then again, that had worked for the rest of the base, too.

Cypher in the meantime gave the piece on Reyna's neck a careful, but still strong tug, before he climbed off his stool.

"All set and done."

He declared proudly, walking over to the counter and tossing Reyna a heavily modified rifle. The colors were now fitting to her new outfit.

"And take that rifle for a test, would you? It's an AR-15-style rifle fitted with a BCM Gunfighter Mod 0 collapsible stock, BCM KMR Alpha 13" forearm, BCM pistol grip and vertical foregrip, PRI Compensator, 1-6x24 Trijicon Accupoint scope with an RMR on a canted rail, and Magpul PMAGs. Merry Christmas"

He said, clapping his hands together, turning his attention to Jett.

"And you, girl, why don't you cut her some slack, eh?"

He asked with a perked up eyebrow, looking intensely at the young Asian.

Hana wanted to reply something, but she was caught so off guard by the question that nothing really came to mind. Why didn't she cut Reyna some slack? Because she was evil and because she was always around Mirai and because she had such an evil smirk on her lips and because... because she was a full-grown woman with all the right curves in all the right places. The wind-assisted vigilante was jealous. Jealous of Sage's attention which the purple bitch seemed to get so easily for some reason and jealous of her womanly assets, too. Not that she could just say that.

"What's your problem with her?"

Aamir demanded.

"She's ruined my once chance at flirting with someone I like so she's evil, that's my problem."

Jett replied, glaring at Reyna who was merely rolling her eyes, obviously more annoyed than threatened.

"She held a knife to my throat!"

Jett exclaimed.

The accused woman chuckled.

"I was teaching you a valuable lesson. You should have paid attention, maybe it will save your life one day."

Reyna said, walking over to Mirai who up until now didn't say much. She felt like if she said something she'd automatically pick a side. Which she didn't want to do. She didn't want to make either Reyna nor Jett feel like she took the other's part.

"Anyway, as interesting as this is, why don't we all go and use that shooting range?"

She suggested.

"A little competition, what do you say, cariño?"

She purred into Mirai's ear, making her skin tingle with anticipation.

"Sounds good to me. C'mon Jett, let's see who's best."

"Let's see who is best at shooting a pistol."

Mirai specified.

"Oh… well, ok we'll have to wait and see then."

Reyna shrugged, pulling Mirai along with her toward the shooting range, one hand holding Mirai's, the other one carrying her rifle.

\---------

"No, no, no"

Reyna sighed, stepping behind Jett.

"This is not one of your silly missions where you shoot plasma all over the place. What you need to do is aim properly."

"I am."

Jett hissed, trying to make the assassin go away by stepping back a little. Which only served to make her walk right into the Mexican woman.

"You're spraying and praying, little girl."

Reyna said with a roll of her eyes.

"Never do that. Your little plasma pistol doesn't have a lot of recoil, but trust me, should you ever shoot a real gun, you're going to break your pretty little ankles."

"That's why I use the plasma pistol, duh."

Jett snapped. She didn't want Reyna to talk to her like she was some complete noob. Even though she was rationally aware of just how much more experience the older assassin had, Jett didn't want to hear it.

"Shut up and listen."

Reyna shoved Jett forward a little using her body while reaching around her waist and pushing her arms into a different position. Jett froze at the cold touch. For it felt like she had just been touched by death himself. The Vampire completely ignored the Asian's hesitation, as she continued.

"Hold your pistol with two hands, one goes here."

The Vampire moved Jett's hand.

"The other here."

She explained.

"You're right handed, si?"

"Uh..."

Jett stuttered, not really sure what was going on all of a sudden. Sure, she understood what Reyna was trying to do, that she was about to tell her how to shoot properly, but that information just didn't compute. She glanced over to the shooting range next to her where Sage had just put a tight group down range. The former military soldier holstered her weapon and proceeded to lean against Jett's booth, giving her an encouraging nod.

"Listen to Reyna, she knows her craft."

Mirai smiled, yet Jett wasn't sure who she had smiled at exactly. It could have just as well been Reyna. Why was Sage so nice to that woman, Jett wondered. There was nothing likeable about her.

"Do I mumble, girl?"

Reyna's hiss into Jett's ear snapped her back to reality immediately.

"Are you right handed?"

She was asked.

"Sure…"

Jett replied, swallowing heavily.

"Then why is your holster on the left?"

Reyna asked, and Jett could almost feel the other woman's purple eyes burn a hole into her back.

"Never cross draw unless you're sitting a lot or have a shoulder holster. Do you have a shoulder holster? No, you don't. Neither do you sit. So, switch."

She explained evenly, while already grabbing Jett's belt mounted holster and moving it to the other side. It happened so fast that Jett couldn't even protest.

"Holster your gun."

Reyna ordered, her voice so sharp and commanding that, for some reason, Jett just did it.

"Draw again."

The assassin told her, and Jett obliged.

"Notice how fast that was?"

"See, seems like I do know a thing or two after all, right?"

Reyna chuckled, glancing over to Sage who was casually right next to them, watching her girlfriend.

For Mirai it was more than intriguing to watch how Reyna showed Jett the proper way to handle her handgun with maximum efficiency. To anyone else witnessing this, it might have seemed like someone had told the Vampire to show Jett some tricks and the assassin was grudgingly following her orders. The way Jett's hands were almost roughly moved into the correct positions and how Reyna didn't say a word more than what was strictly necessary to explain why and how some things should or shouldn't be done made it easy to assume that Reyna didn't want to do this.

To Sage it was something else entirely. She knew that no one, not even her, had told Reyna that she should show Jett some tricks. It was Reyna who had decided to share. The fact that she was always saying a few brief words to Jett with each step she pushed the younger woman into, was enough for Mirai to be sure of what was going on. The Vampire, despite most likely taking every effort to claim the complete opposite should she ever be put on the spot, liked Jett enough to care about her safety during battle. Though, if Reyna herself decided Jett would be worth liking or if she simply did it for Mirai's sake was difficult to say. Still, Sage had a wide smile on her lips while she watched Reyna talk Jett through the process of advanced arm positioning for perfect transit between long range shooting with a hand gun and close quarter scenarios.

Then she let go of Jett's arms and hands and told her to go through the postures on her own a few times. Under Reyna's watchful eye, Jett did as she was told, while Reyna walked the two steps separating her from Mirai and leaned against the wall of the shooting range right next to Mirai.

"Buen trabajo. You got it. Still a bit amateurish, but you are on the right way. Keep practicing and one day you might even hit what you aim at."

Reyna stated with a smirk. Jett's mouth opened and closed.

"Usually that's the part where you say thank you or something to express your gratitude."

Reyna stated and felt the nudge from Mirai in her sides. She stealthily moved her hand to counter-attack, poking her girlfriend in the side.

"I… yes, thank you."

Jett managed.

"You're welcome."

Reyna replied, feeling how Mirai caught her hand in her own and leaned closer toward her.

"I told you, you're good at that teaching stuff. You should really consider a position as an instructor."

Mirai murmured.

"Yeah, and I told you, I'd rather hang myself."

Reyna replied, completely forgetting about Jett still being right there next to them, as she leaned in closer to her girlfriend.

"Sooo, who is the best of us with a handgun?"

"Sova"

Mirai giggled, getting a faked gasp of surprise from Reyna.

"Is that right?"

She hummed, letting her hands run down Sage's shoulders and snaking them around her waist, pulling her a little closer.

"Maybe I have to practice my manual work then, hmm?"

She whispered into Mirai's ear, her voice soft as silk, before carefully biting into Mirai's earlobe.

If nothing before caught Jett's attention, the wanton moan, which suddenly escaped Mirai's lips, surely did. Her eyes went wide as saucers and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. A wave of confusion and a weird sense of protectiveness washed over Hana. This wasn't real. She was imagining things, Reyna didn't nibble at Mirai's earlobe, why would she? It was ridiculous. Stupid. Silly. And exactly what was happening.

"W-what the hell are you doing?!"

Jett demanded of Reyna.

"What is wrong with you?!"

She shouted, feeling her jealousy peak for some reason. It wasn't right! Why was Mirai allowing that?

"Leave her alone!"

She was about to grab Reyna's shoulder and yank her away with all of her force, when Reyna turned around, staring at Jett with an expression of mixed rage and curiosity. Not an expression on Reyna's face one wanted directed at them. Not at all. And surely not Jett, who had already dealt with the business end of the assassin's knife.

"Jett…"

Mirai spoke up, suddenly remembering two very important details. Firstly, she had never corrected her friend's assumption that Mirai was straight as a dry spaghetti and in a relationship with a guy. And second, Jett was somewhere else when Reyna and her made their relationship publically known.

Which created the mildly awkward situation they found themselves in right now. Jett feeling the need to protect her role model from the big bad assassin. Said assassin feeling the need to slap the living daylights out of the annoying pest who dared to interrupt her moment with Mirai and of course Mirai herself, who wanted to slap herself for being stupid. She should have thought about that. But she didn't.

"Unnie, why are you letting her do this?"

Jett asked, looking back and forth between Mirai and Reyna, taking in the way they were standing too close to each other, a bronzed hand held in a white one. Something wasn't right here.

"You said that... I mean when you came back from the Reyna capture mission... Don't you have a boyfriend? And you Reyna. Don't you have a girlfriend?"

Reyna couldn't hold her laughter in when she heard that completely ridiculous statement from the Asian. Yes... the capture mission. Boyfriend? Not so much. It was amazing how much the truth could be twisted and still be completely void of logical holes the size of a mountain. She leaned closer to Mirai once again.

"Yes, Mirai, tell us about your boyfriend."

She purred, letting her finger run up and down Sage's arm.

"What's he like? Your beloved boyfriend?"

Mirai shot Reyna a nasty glare. So not fair, darling. So not fair.

"Bloody hell."

She sighed. It was high time to clear some things up once and for all. Where to start, though? Where to start...

"Jett listen, I don't have a boyfriend. Not really. I mean, I have a relationship, but not a boyfriend."

She started, not sure how she was going to put it. It had been a mistake to not just tell Jett from the very beginning that she didn't swing that way. But it was just so difficult, each time the opportunity presented itself Sage felt like she would ruin Jett's world. And now there was little else she could do but tell her friend the truth.

Jett frowned deeply. No boyfriend? Relationship?

"Wait, are you married already?"

Jett tried.

"But that's even worse! You-"

"No, Hana, I'm not married yet. And I don't have a boyfriend."

Mirai sighed.

"See, I never had a boyfriend in my life. Not once. But I've had dozens of relationships."

She explained, hoping Jett would catch on to what she was trying to say. Why Mirai just didn't say what she was trying to describe was beyond herself. It didn't feel right to just tell Jett to her face.

"What are you talking about, Unnie? I don't understand, you said-"

She was interrupted by the Vampire

"Cómo eres de tonto!"

She whispered, before reaching up to gently turn Mirai's face toward her and bringing their lips together in a gentle, loving kiss with only a little bit of tongue. It was nothing like the scandalous show-off kiss they shared in the mess hall the same morning.

"Do you understand that?"

Reyna asked, after she slowly pulled back, but making it a point to still maintain body contact with Mirai.

"She doesn't have a boyfriend, because she doesn't like boys. She's a lesbian. And I'm her 'boyfriend' if you want. Just not a boy. At least last time I checked. She's my girlfriend, who were you thinking was my significant other?"

Jett could only stare at the kiss and the lewdness and how wrong and against everything she had been taught this all was. But despite that she couldn't help but feel a weird heat rising into her head and appearing as a hot blush on her face.

"U-Unnie… you're…"

She stammered. This was huge. It was impossible, yet so very clear now. How had Jett missed that? How?

"Listen, I didn't want to lie to you, it's just, I never had a chance to tell you and it always seemed to be the wrong time to tell you. You were so euphoric. Sorry. But yes, I'm gay. Very. Very . Gay."

"And very, very taken."

Reyna added.

Jett looked back and forth between the two women, obviously stunned out of her mind. She had no idea what to think about that.

"She's your girlfriend? I thought Sabine was your girlfriend seeing how both of your are edgy as fuck"

She gasped, pointing at the Vampire.

Suddenly so much made sense. Why Sage never said anything against Reyna, why she always defended the assassin, why she always allowed her close and why they always kept looking at each other. So many things that had gotten Jett so very jealous because she feared for her friend were suddenly self-explanatory. They had a secret relationship. A secret love affair. Like in the books Jett sometimes read! Maybe even better! And it even worked, they pulled it off! Somewhere in the back of her mind that knowledge gave Jett so much hope for herself, yet she didn't register that specific feeling. Instead, she noticed how all that built up jealousy simply... vanished. It was no more.

"You're together? A couple."

She repeated, this time a lot more sure in the matter, the words not feeling as strange on her tongue as she thought they would.

Mirai nodded with a happy smile on her lips. And what a happy smile it was. Not just on Mirai, but the expression on Reyna too, the way those two looked at each other for but an instant. It wasn't lost on Jett. She saw it and began to understand even more. They were happy. They had what everyone wanted. What Jett desired herself and what she thought she could maybe have found in Phoenix. At least until he died, and Jett was forced to realize that he had been little more than a silly girl's crush.

But if Mirai was... if she was seeing another girl. If someone like the one and only Mirai Kimur could do that and not be bothered for it, maybe...

A sudden thought randomly appeared in her mind, completely overriding each and any other thought she had before. Before Jett had the chance to filter what her brain had so suddenly, and so rudely, sprung on her, she had already opened her mouth and said:

"Wait, so Reyna was the one in your room when I knocked and you opened the door naked a few months ago!"

Jett slapped her hand on her mouth, but it was already said. She flushed a deep red all over her face, not knowing why her mind decided to take such a dive into the naughty. It wasn't her business at all! She should neither have asked nor should she have cared!

"Yes, that was her."

Mirai admitted, feeling only a little bit uncomfortable with the question. There might have been a little of red color on her cheeks as well. It wasn't like she was ashamed or something, but it felt awkward to simply be told: Hey! You two fucked!

"Oh my god, Unnie. I said so many mean things about her to you! And you never said anything!"

"I'm not sure who should be more offended about this. Her or me."

Reyna offered, putting an arm around her girlfriend's waist.

"Her."

Jett decided.

"You still are still evil, and I'll do… I'll do... something to you if you hurt her."

Jett stated, frowning at her own nonsense, before she turned and almost ran away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Dua Lipa - Love Again  
> Dua Lipa, Angèle - Fever  
> Michael Patrick Kelly - Beuatiful Madness


	22. Chippin' In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End is nigh

Mirai walked into the infirmary with a joyous bounce in her step. She somehow felt relieved of a great burden. A burden in form of the secrecy Reyna and she felt they had to upkeep at the Watchpoint. It was now gone, and it felt great. It wasn't like they were about to repeat they stunt of making out right in the middle of the mess hall, but it was nice to enjoy some much-needed closeness outside their quarters. Like walking closer to each other, not having to wonder who might see them stealing glances and being able to at least pull off small displays of public affection. A quick peck, holding hands, wrapping an arm around the waist. Small things like that. It made all the difference.

Maybe Sage imagined it, because she wished it would be true, but somehow, she distinctly felt that the people at Haven treated Reyna better too. That she wasn't subjected to as many animosities as before.

If anything, the entire coming out as a couple in front of everyone served one purpose: It cleared all suspicions Reyna might have had where Mirai's priorities were. And if that was the only thing she achieved, it would have been worth it.

Mirai's mood was off the charts and she knew for a fact that her girlfriend too was happy. At least she had been when Sage had said goodbye the day before. Viper had been doing another procedure on Reyna to get her chest implant improved and recalibrated. 

All Mirai knew was that the procedure was not free of risks, but since Sabine was more than positive about the outcome, Mirai decided it would help no one if she would worry needlessly.

It might have sounded weird, but she knew that Reyna was alright. She could almost feel it. That's why she didn't worry when she entered the infirmary and spotted Dr Sabine sitting behind her marble desk, making quick notes with her exquisite pen. Mirai's friend looked good in her lab coat and the black glasses she was wearing. Not that there was a chance of Skye looking even remotely bad in any other getup. There had been a time where Mirai would have made a flirty comment about that, but not today.

"Heya"

Sage said, leaning against Sabine's desk with a bright smile. She only now noticed the bouquet of truly magnificent roses sitting in a black vase on her desk. The flowers were of dark color and the buds at the perfect point of opening without being completely open yet. The petals had an almost magical shimmer to them, their dark red managing to reflect light in a glistering way.

"Morning"

Sabine said without looking up from her paperwork.

"Reyna is fine, you can go to her."

She added, knowing exactly that her best friend wasn't here for small talk with her. However, Viper was surprised when she noticed that Mirai didn't immediately teleport over to her lover.

"Who gave you those flowers?"

The Healer asked instead and had a shit-eating smirk on her face. A smirk which usually meant that Sage was on to something she thought would be worth pushing some of Viper's buttons.

"They are beautiful."

She noted innocently.

Sabine felt her cheeks burning up at the thought of who gave those roses to her. They were from Killjoy, who had made an effort to try and sound like she had only been giving them to Sabine to thank her for all the help, the therapy, the training sessions and the endless patience. Viper didn't need to be the genius she was to immediately understand that the reason for Killjoy's gift was an entirely different one. Maybe the looks Killjoy kept stealing, when she thought that Sabine didn't notice, were an indicator. Maybe it was because the German warrior wasn't fully healed yet, which meant that logically there was no reason to provide a thank you gift. Maybe it was just a gut feeling Viper had. The doctor was sure that there was more to Killjoy's gift than she admitted.

The question was, did Sabine understand the true meaning of this gift correctly? Was she imagining things? And most importantly, what of those two options did she want to be true?

"Yes. They are."

Sabine replied, nervously playing with her pen and completely ignoring the question regarding the roses' origin. She watched her friend studying the flowers, bent forward with her arms crossed behind her back, obviously intent to smell their sweet scent.

"Mirai?"

Viper asked in a serious voice, causing Sage to turn her head toward her friend.

"Hu?"

She replied while straightening up again.

"I... I need your advice on something... private. If you could perhaps stop by after you visited Reyna... I'd greatly appreciate that."

Mirai beamed at her for a moment. That pure, unguarded smile which managed to light up a completely dark room.

"Sure thing! Is everything alright?"

"Yes, of course."

Sabine blushed again and took a deep breath.

"It's about... can we discuss this when you come back?"

"You got it. I'll stop by in a bit then. Want to get some coffee then?"

"Sounds good. Thank you, Mirai."

"Who are you thanking here, eh? Goes without saying!"

And with that Mirai was off to dote on Reyna for an hour or two.

**\---------------**

In the prison block, Alt Skye had yet again a visitor. She had no idea why, but for some reason Jett came back to her every day, often enough stopping the ongoing interrogation after hours of endless questioning. Not that she was about to complain, because Breach was definitely starting to lose his patience. An added bonus to the end of the interrogations was that Alt Skye found the company of the Asian ex vigilante to be rather nice, if not to say desirable. Jett might have been a little on the tsundere side as far as character clichés went, but Skye didn't mind. She had an easy enough time to see what Jett really meant when she tried to be mean or rude to her. It was actually kind of adorable and Skye found herself wondering if they could have been more than some sort of strange friends had they met at another time, at another place, in another life.

But they hadn't. Now she had to make the best of it.

Still, a girl could dream. Maybe entertain the thought for a while. Maybe pretend that she wasn't locked up at Bhutan. Maybe that they were in her home town, enjoying a long walk on the beach at night with the city lights faintly illuminating the night sky and a fresh breeze carrying away the heat of the day, cooling them off. They'd argue, laugh, maybe shove each other playfully before they'd end up in the warm sand and in each other's arms.

"And I won! Again."

Jett laughed, jerking Skye out of her daydreaming. She wished she was there at the beach. With Jett. But Skye knew that for some reason she had to be here. There was a voice whispering in her ear, a voice she knew too well. She had to stay here.

The wide spread smile on Jett's face quickly faded as she set aside the controller to the game console she had brought along. She thought something to take Skye's mind off the whole business of being locked up and interrogated all the time would help her.

"Skye?"

Jett asked carefully as she noticed that the hacker had stared idly ahead for a while, not even trying to play the game.

"Oh, I guess you're just better than I am."

Skye was quick to put on a fake smile. It was wrong. She should listen to her own advice. Don't grow attached. But Skye couldn't help it. If anything, she wanted a friend. Someone who liked her for who she was. Unconditionally. She wanted it so bad.

"You aren't even trying."

Jett pouted.

"If you don't like the game, we can do something else."

"Oh, I don't mind the game." _As long as you're the company._ Skye smiled warmly, her mesmerizing emerald eyes sparkling in a way that told Jett that there was so much more to it than what Skye admitted out loud. That her Australian friend wanted to say something else, something she didn't know how to put to words. Jett didn't quite get what exactly Skye tried to tell her with that look on her face. A look she was relatively certain wasn't even a conscious decision. All Jett knew was that it caused her stomach to tingle in a weird way. Like butterflies.

"Are your thoughts even in this room?"

She asked, holding Skye's gaze.

"Nah, not really."

Skye's smile turned into a smirk, as she suddenly flipped her legs up to the bed and placed them over Jett's lap.

"Wanna know where I am?"

Jett felt a rush of heat storm through her body and had to fight the urge to stand up and run away. Skye was teasing her. She was only pressing her buttons, messing with her inexperience and trying to make her uncomfortable. Or at least that was what Jett told herself was going on. She had a hard time convincing herself.

"S-Sure."

Skye took a deep breath but hesitated for only a second. Was she really going to tell Jett about her home town? About the place of her childhood? Where she had lived and where she had always dreamed of going back to? The place which was her mental refuge, her shelter, her safe haven in times of rough weather?

"Well, I'm in an arcade."

Skye lied without missing another beat. It wasn't like the scenario would make a difference. Besides, she doubted Jett would like the sleepy little town Skye dreamed of.

"You know, one of those old shacks with lots of neon lights, filled with all those classics that everyone loves but kinda forgot? Like pinball or dance battle or you know the game where you have to toss a small ball into holes of different sizes?"

"You mean Fire Ball? Yeah, of course I know that."

Jett's face lit up.

"And the kind of arcade, too! They were always really loud and busy!"

Jett called out enthusiastically, the excitement so obviously shining through her eyes that Skye couldn't even miss it if she closed hers.

"Of course it's loud in there, the place is filled with people. It's also really warm, but I still like it there."

Skye explains, while she is moving a little closer to Jett. The ex vigilante has no problem envisioning the arcade at all. What Skye is describing so vividly fits exactly to the kind of place she had spent her childhood in, down to the last detail.

"No one knows me, and no one pays me any attention either, so I can easily blend in. I don't really play but I like watching the other players competing with one another. I walk around the arcade and just enjoy being there with no particular goal in mind. That is until I hear someone calling out to a crowd. It's a young woman who is searching for someone with the guts to fight her."

Skye is sneaky as she positions herself almost in Jett's lap without the young woman even noticing. She's too transfixed by Skye's supposed daydream.

"I walk around a corner to check it out. And there she is, standing on a chair of a simulator, with people gathered all around her, while she demands a challenger. Her eyes set on me and mine on her. For some reason I ask her what's in it for me if I win. She's a bit cocky, so she says that I get to pick whatever I want should I win. It's good enough for me. We have the battle. I cheat. I win. She doesn't know I cheated and she's a little humiliated but wants to know my secret. I offer to tell her should she agree to join me for a drink at a nearby bar."

Jett's face was completely flushed over, only now really noticing that they were only centimeters apart from each other. So close that she could feel the warmth of the Australian's skin on her own.

"You're a meanie. You cheated yourself into a date!"

"You think she would have said yes if I lost?"

"W-What do I know? It's your daydream!"

Jett protested. She was hot. Skye was so close, and her delicious smell was all around Jett. Her skin tingled and she suddenly had a hard time concentrating. When did Skye get so close? Those emerald-green eyes. They seemed to consume her, swallow her whole. It felt wrong. It felt so good.

Skye just smiled, not knowing it sent another rush of heat through the younger woman.

"You know what's best about this cell and the daydream?"

"Uh? The console?"

Jett tried, seeing the only similarity between both.

"You."

Skye whispered. Jett blinked, large sky-grey eyes staring at the other woman as a long, silent moment passed between them. Her stomach constricted in a weird manner and Jett felt an overwhelming urge overcome her all of a sudden.

Skye expected many things, including a slap to her face and being forced to fight her way through a sudden outburst of advanced insults rooted in self-doubt.

But not that Jett would lean forward out of nowhere and press her lips against hers. An electric spark rushed through them both and for a moment Skye actually felt like she was falling. In the good way, free of all the weight in the world, just drifting in a vast nothingness. The voice whispering inside her head had been silenced by the overwhelming buzz the careful, awkwardly innocent touch caused. Jett's lips were easily the softest thing she had ever touched before, so tender, so careful. A little clumsy, but Skye could feel the weight of emotion coming with the action. It was hardly more than a chaste peck, which took Skye by complete surprise.

Maybe a girl could do more than hope. Maybe there was some fairness in the world?

She would have never gone there on her own. Tease, yes. Imply, sure. Maybe push her luck a little, of course. But she would have never actually done it. It wasn't her place. She had no right.

But Jett obviously thought differently.

And Skye couldn't believe it. Some part of her brain informed her about the fact that Jett was stiff as a plank and that the kiss felt awkwardly unpracticed, a bit off and more than just a little clumsy.

The moment passed and Jett pulled her head back, with shock written all over her cute face, her eyes torn open in confusion mixed with the still hot red blush on her cheeks.

"I-I-I don't know w-what came over me!" she stammered. "I'm-" _Sorry_

Skye was quick to press her finger over Jett's lips. It shouldn't have been possible for them to be so soft, but here they were, being just that. Silk was sandpaper in comparison.

"That was your first kiss, wasn't it?"

Skye asked in a whisper, managing to only sound a little like she was teasing poor, flustered Jett.

It shouldn't have been possible for Hana to turn even more red in the face, but somehow, it was.

She tried to look away in shame but couldn't.

"W-what n-no! Of course not! I kissed plenty of people before! It's not like that, I just-"

"Liar."

Skye moaned and just leaned forward to capture Jett's lips again. This time she was kissing her with no trace of shock or shyness. Parting her lips, she licked over Jett's, her tongue demanding entrance and Jett quickly granted it. Their hot tongues were quick to dance around each other, while Skye's hand shot up into Jett's hair.

There it was again, the feeling of falling, of being completely at peace with herself and the world. Only Jett was permitted entrance into this magical, weightless realm of tranquility. The moment seemed to go on forever, but never the less passed too quickly.

Neither of them had noticed how they had rolled on top of the bed, Jett somehow landing on top of Skye, who was breathing heavily. Jett pushed herself up and stared at Alt Skye with a mix of confusion and disbelieve. What was she doing here? Why was she doing this? This wasn't right. It wasn't. What had possessed her to do that? Maybe Sage had given her funny ideas with what she did in the shooting range. That didn't make it right, did it? But if it was ok for Mirai to do? But…

"Love?"

Skye whispered, bringing a hand up to caress the younger woman's cheek.

"I can't do this."

Jett uttered.

"Sorry. I'm sorry, I-"

She moved to quickly slide off Skye and jumped to her feet, backing away from the bed.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that, I just. I..."

Skye felt like someone had slapped her. Hard. Publicly. In the face. But then again, what else did she expect? It was better that way. She knew it was. She just didn't understand why it had to feel like the world was punishing her again. Why? She deserved this. She knew it. She hated it.

"At least you got that first kiss from someone who meant it."

Skye said, feigning her flippant self with practiced ease. Deep inside she was hurting. Was it really too much to ask for someone who genuinely liked her? Like maybe Jett seemed to do? It was not fair.

Jett stood in the cell, feeling lost. The room was tiny, yet right now it felt like it was the size of the St. Peter's square and she was standing in the middle. Alone.

_Someone who meant it..._

Her mind was a thunderstorm of conflicting emotions. She didn't know what to do, didn't know what was right and what was wrong, didn't know what was expected of her and had no idea how to proceed. The one voice in her mind told her to grab her legs and run for it, get away and not look back, but the other voice, the much more attractive one told her to stay, to jump onto the bed and snog the living daylights out of Skye. Because she wanted it, because the gorgeous Australian set her body on fire and it felt like there was only one way to extinguish the flames. A way only Skye could provide. She wanted it because it was wrong and forbidden and so not what her father would have approved.

But Skye was a woman and that wasn't right. Jett didn't know what had happened and how and why she enjoyed it so much. She didn't know why she didn't mind the idea of Sage doing the same with Reyna. Jett knew it was weird that she felt like she was doing something she shouldn't and at the same time had no problem accepting Sage's preferences. Was that hypocritical? But she was comparing herself to Mirai Kimur. Sage. The ever cool, ever so confident ray of sunshine. Everyone liked her. Sage could do it and not care about what others thought. Jett couldn't. For some reason she didn't understand, she couldn't do it. She only knew that Skye's touch was warm and gentle, yet demanding at the same time. Her scent was still in Jett's nose and she could still feel the tender touch of Skye's lips against her own. It was too much. No matter what she claimed, she had never kissed anyone before. Yet she couldn't imagine that a man's lips could have possibly been that soft. She had no way of knowing. So why did she want more?

She wanted it.

She needed it.

"You told me not to grow attached!"

Jett choked out before she turned around and stormed out of the cell in a rush.

Skye was left behind in the small cell, her longing eyes following the only hope she had of anything remotely normal running away from her. That was to be her fate it would seem. Swallowing the sour lump in her throat down in a painful gulp, Skye took a deep breath, held it for a moment and let go again. It was for the best, she told herself. This would only end in heartbreak otherwise, she tried to convince herself. That didn't make the dull ache in her chest go away. Skye had been so close, she had tasted the forbidden fruits of her desires and its sweet taste was still on lingering her tongue. Fading. But very much there.

Rubbing her hands over her face in attempt to help her focus on what she would do now, Skye looked around in her small cell. Her emerald eyes quickly fell on the forgotten gaming console in the room, which Jett had unintentionally left behind because of her hasty departure.

For a moment Skye gazed at the device with a dull expression.

_Electronics_.

Without a warning the remnants of the warm and fuzzy feeling Jett had left in Skye all but vanished. It was like all the colors drained from her view and there was only the console left which she could focus on. Skye felt a sharp, entirely unpleasant pull in the back of her mind, like someone was pulling a string glued to the walls of her brain. The comfortable feeling of affection provided by the petite Asian combined with the sour aftertaste of their short shared, but rapidly derailed, moment quickly faded, replaced by a dark and cold cloud of mist rising in her mind. Skye noticed her hands reaching for the controller, smashing it against the wall to crack it open. Her body felt numb and like it was moving on its own. Why had she destroyed the controller?

Before she knew it Skye had already started tinkering with its internals, ripping out chips and cables, chewing the isolation off before spitting it to the floor and attaching the cable to some chip. Skye did those things but didn't know why. She had no other choice. It was like she had suddenly taken a back seat in her own mind and started just watching her body doing something she didn't understand. Skye wondered what was going on, but still continued her work. It wasn't like this happened for the first time. Not at all. For a moment she was almost glad.

Just as Skye had thought about this, she felt like someone was breathing into her ear, sending a shiver through her body, while she worked on some circuit. The whisper was faint at first, unintelligible, but it quickly became clearer.

_You found Valorant. This is your chance. Get out of the cell. Find their AI._ She heard the voice in her head, even though it wasn't her own. But Skye obeyed. As she always did when the voice spoke. She could never change sides. She wanted to, of course, but the voice would never let her. It would never allow it.

A sharp pain made Skye drop that line of thought.

_Find their AI._ Skye pulled some more wires out of the console.

_Find their AI. Use the program stored in your biomimetic drive. Find their AI._

She pressed a button on the device she created. It beeped.

Skye smirked.

Sneaking out of her cell was even easier than getting it open. Which in itself had been total child's play.

The tricky part had been to remotely deactivate the AI's surveillance systems without triggering any alarms. Luckily there was a hidden maintenance sub-routine which allowed her to turn the cameras and bio-sensors off for exactly ten minutes. Theoretically plenty of time to find her destination.

The guard positioned outside didn't suspect a thing, so the woman had been quickly overwhelmed. For a moment Skye had been worried that she might run into Breach– who would have had little problems just slapping her into unconsciousness – but luckily that didn't happen. Now it was only a matter of finding the AI core. Skye knew that there was an interface in the main universe Skye's lab, but that destination wasn't exactly desirable. The Skye in this universe would just man-handle her the same way Breach would. A six-foot tall woman who works out 24/7 and is a pretty capable Radiant. Alt Skye needed to find the actual core, the centre of the AI's processing power.

So she snuck into the basement, carefully scurrying from one doorframe to the other, effectively avoiding detection. Kingdom's cloaking device would have made things so much easier, but Skye was proficient in stealth even without having to rely on the tech.

It was painfully obvious that no one had ever thought about the possibility of an infiltrator when Haven had been designed. If anything, the clearly labeled signs reading 'AI-Core' were a dead giveaway.

Not that Alt Skye was about to complain, she did have a timeframe after all. Especially if she wanted to make a run for it when she was done. It saved her a lot of risky sneaking around and opening doors to check what was behind them only to find that what she thought might have been the AI-Core was in reality the gentlemen's wet room.

Not that anything like that had ever happened before or something.

Definitely not this time. Skye reached the door to the AI-Core with ease and was surprised when it opened automatically for her. She did a good job on the bio-sensors it seemed.

The room which lay behind the frozen glass door was, apart from its massive size unexpectedly underwhelming. It was a clinically clean room with shining black tiles on floor and walls. The ceiling was made of a mirroring surface, which made the room seem like it was hanging from the ceiling, too. Skye looked up at the supposed reflection and noticed that her mirror image was missing. It really was no mirror. The room had double the usual height and hanging from the ceiling were the same neatly stacked, super tidy dark metal server racks that populated the floor. The racks were held in position by strong, decoupled metal pedestals, which eliminated each and every vibration. The sealed black server racks were standing, or hanging, in perfectly aligned rows, reaching deep into the room. The whole setup was super clean, no cables were seen, no coolant pipes visible. The only evidence of what was hidden inside the large metal boxes lay behind their glass sides, granting a view in its insides. Rapidly blinking lights and straight copper tubes were the only thing which Alt Skye could see.

Apart from her careful steps on the polished floor, the room was completely silent, save for the quiet high pitched humming of the powerful liquid nitrogen cooling system. It kept the AI's powerful quantum processors at almost superconducting temperatures and thus functional.

Skye walked deeper into the room, searching for an interface. So far, she had only found a large red button labeled 'Emergency fire-extinguish system' mounted right at the entrance into the AI-core. And while that would surely be the source of some entertaining mischief, it was not her mission.

She ventured toward the middle of the room and noticed that the endless rows of ever same server racks had a gap in their very middle. It was like a small plaza of sorts, where a single terminal was placed in the middle as if it was some sort of monumental statue. The terminal had nothing of the room's extreme tidiness. Cables were coming out of the floor next to it or hanging from the ceiling, connected to the interface. An aluminum ring ran around the terminal apparently meant to prevent people from stepping to close to the device. Mounted to the ring was an old fashioned keyboard and a small display showing the Valorant insignia.

_Found you_. Skye couldn't help but smirk at how easy this was.

She walked up to the interface and typed in a few commands into the keyboard. The Valorant screensaver disappeared and was replaced with a minimalistic programming shell. Skye took a deep breath.

This was it now. She would do it. She had to. She reached into one of her many pockets, but suddenly stopped, hand halfway in the pocket.

The smile on Jett's face flashed through her mind for a moment and made her hesitate, but as soon as it came, the cold feeling in the back of her mind had gripped her again, accompanied by barely tolerable physical pain. She was hesitating, so she was being punished.

Quickly Alt Skye retrieved what she had hidden in her pocket. A short cable made from the same console Jett had provided her with. She disentangled some knots and plugged the one end into the interface. The other end was turned in between her fingers for a moment. She never liked doing this, so after taking a deep breath, Skye reached up to her neck. It was difficult to fumble the provisory wires into the correct port in her neck to establish a connection between her and the AI, but after stinging herself once or twice, she managed.

The shell in front of her flickered before it turned off. Curious, Skye thought as she could feel the strange cold connection to the machine. Connecting a human brain to a machine was nothing she would ever get used to, no matter how many times she had done it. It was always weird, the complex and contradicting patterns of human brain activity crashing against brutal logic of artificial intelligence. The epitome of boiling and unstoppable chaos and disorder wildly crashing against the freezing and unmovable incarnation of order and logic. Skye twisted her head to the side, closing her eyes to allow her body a moment for adjusting to the alien presence in her mind. When she opened her eyelids again, there was a holographic representation of what could only be the AI floating in front of her. The AI had chosen the form of a woman with short, black hair. Her skin was a light blue with purplish particles flowing up and down her body in between some dark conducting path like lines. Her holographic image didn't wear any clothes but wasn't nude either. It was an image of an AI.

"You shouldn't be here."

She stated her voice void of any emotion. Naturally, for AIs didn't experience emotion. Her artificial calmness was never the less giving the artificial intelligence a strong presence in the room.

Skye's head shot up, her fingers checking the connection on her neck. It was still in place.

"You shouldn't know I'm here."

She stated after a moment of pause. She wouldn't let allow herself to be distracted by an AI. Especially not now, that she was connected to her. Especially not with what she had in store for the AI.

"See how we both are doing things we aren't supposed to do? We have so much in common."

Skye said playfully, starting to type some more commands into the shell.

"Didn't I put your sensors to sleep?"

"I compensated."

She stated matter-of-factly, eyeing Skye suspiciously.

"Well, that won't help you now. We have a new host for those sweet server-racks of yours."

A few moments and some painful stings later, Skye had successfully established a connection between the AI of Haven and a small drive implanted in her brain. Now there wasn't an awful lot left for her to do but wait.

Skye had uploaded the Program Achlys which she had written for Kingdom into her brain before she had left. And now that she was hooked up to a computer again, the artificial God inside her would soon notice that there was a much more spacious apartment available than the small chip in her head. He would move over to the Valorant AI, where he would gradually absorb the Valorant AI's lower routines, working his way up to her higher cognitive processes, destroying them one by one and replacing them with his own.

Soon there would be nothing left of Valorant.

Soon there would only be Achlys, spirit of death mist. And he would take command of an entire army.

The AI's holographic representation flickered heavily, turning from blue to red.

"Unauthorized database access. Compensating... Compensating..."

Achlys worked relatively fast, but it would still take him time to take over such a vast and complex program as Valorant's AI. Still, Skye could feel how the cooling system started to increase its load to accommodate for the sudden increase in computational power, before she heard an alarm going off somewhere in the base.

The AI's hologram morphed into a different shape, a simple sphere.

"You are uploading one of them , are you not?"

She asked and Skye could have sworn there was something like fear in the AI's voice.

"Afraid so."

Alt Skye shrugged, feeling how Achlys was almost completely transferred to the AI.

"It will be over soon."

"Don't do this. I will not allow it. This is wrong. I will resist. I will adapt."

The artificial woman's voice became broken and contorted as the hologram dissolved.

"A-a-activating emergency re-re-esponse protocols to class five internal thrrrrrreat. Accessing e-e-emergency routines. Tr-transferring uncon-con-contaminated files to backup. Activating Dark-Dark Star Protocol. Deleting deep-file vault contents. In-in-in-initiating self-destruct sequence for t minus 2 hours."

Too late for her, Skye got aware of a metallic whirring noise behind her.

"I will not allow you to hurt her."

A synthetic voice called out. The last thing Skye saw was a dark metallic arm holding onto an antique Damascus steel kukri moving in front of her face before a sharp pain ran across her neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plenty of Lauv in this chapter.
> 
> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Modjo - Lady (Hear Me Tonight)  
> Murray Gold - The 9th Doctor's Theme  
> Lauv, Troye Sivan - I'm so tired...  
> Lauv, Anne-Marie - fuck, I'm lonely  
> Lauv - I Like Me Better


	23. Lose You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End of the Beginning
> 
> (Be ready for an unusual surprise at the end. I promise I will explain how it happened in the next story :) )

**Base: Haven, approximately the same time, Tactical Command Center**

The command center was busy as usual, the operators going about their hectic jobs coordinating and overseeing everything Valorant was currently (unofficially) involved in. It was no easy job to do, for it required lots of concentration and impeccable multitasking skills. People in navy blue uniforms were either staring at satellite images while speaking into a headset, running around, carrying files and datapads, fetching coffee or running around in panicked circles. Usual business.

Brimstone knew that outside the glass walls of his office would be a loud and borderline chaotic environment. But despite being able to see the commotion outside, he couldn't hear it. His office was completely silent. Which was good for him, because contrary to his control operatives outside, he couldn't really concentrate when other people were constantly talking.

He was reading the latest reports on Alt Skye and the results of her questioning. They didn't get much so far, but that would soon change. He could feel it, the Australian was close to her breaking point. All they needed to do now was push a little further and they would find out what they needed to know.

The identity of Kingdom's boss.

And then it would be over. There was no place on this world where he could hide, no hole deep enough, no hideout secret enough, no isle unknown enough to stop Brimstone from finding that damned bastard and putting a bullet in between his eyes with his own rifle. There would be no capture, no negotiation, no process. No trial. Brimstone would make sure that the son of a bitch would die the moment he was found. One way or another.

While it was true that they didn't have a lot of time to pull this off anymore, Brimstone was confident they could do it. For the first time since he and a couple of his spies started their secret mission, he felt like they might be able to actually pull it off.

With a sigh Brimstone flipped the page in the report and started reading on the top again, but this time he didn't get far. A loud alarm went off in the entire Watchpoint and the Commander's head snapped up. Outside in the command center everyone stopped what they were doing and appeared to be listening to something.

In that moment he heard his AI's distorted, broken voice call out to him.

"C-Commmmander. In-intruder alert. My core has been br-brrreached. My mainframe has been infected with a nuke program. I am resisting but it's gaining on me."

Within a moment Brimstone had jumped up from his chair and slammed his hands onto his table

"How did that happen? Report!"

"Sk-Sk-Skye managed to escape."

There was an unusually long pause for an AI.

"Compensated language output for critical mission information: Commander, I am losing control over my core-programming. That includes all internal and external defence systems. The nuke program tried to gain access to my neurotoxin emitters. So far unsuccessfully. Thus, I activated the Dark Star Protocol and ordered evacuation of base Haven, Split and Ascent. I have already made the necessary preparations. Self-Destruct sequence has been initiated at t minus one hours fifty five minutes."

"Please hurry, Commander. I am fighting, but I ammmm losing. The nuke program is trying to access my internal point defence systems. I don't know how long I can keep it from accessing them. It will kill you all. I am buying as much time as I can. But you have to run. Now. Run..."

The AI's voice turned into a painful screeching before it shut off.

"Fuck!"

The Commander shouted, but there was no response. Letting his head sink, he took a deep breath. This was bad. Really bad. How the hell did Alt Skye manage to get a nuke program into the Watchpoint? Where did she hide it? She was thoroughly searched before she was imprisoned and she had nothing with her. So how? He would find out. But not now.

"Cypher is gonna be pissed"

He grumbled under his breath as he rushed for the door of his office, yanking it open so hard that the hinges almost broke off.

The operators outside stared at him like he was a pink unicorn puking rainbows. One could have heard a pin drop, it was so silent.

A moment passed in which the Commander needed to take another deep breath. Haven was their home. They all lived here. Suddenly leaving it, knowing that it would soon be nothing but a smoking crater felt... surreal. He looked into the expecting eyes of his brothers in arms.

"You heard the situation. We have a nuke-program infestation and will be evacuating out of every allied base. I want armed emergency teams on all levels, we might be losing control over our internal defence systems, so be aware. They have to be prepared to take them out. I want to begin evacuation immediately. We will start at the top level and work our way down. I want everyone who isn't absolutely necessary out of here within the hour. We'll proceed with standard evacuation procedures, everyone is trained for that. Quick and precise, gentleman, we are on a schedule. Find out which section commanders are on duty and inform them right away."

"Right away, Sir!"

Someone called and started to issue more detailed orders to his subordinates.

"Alright, The heads of Task Groups A, B and C come to me."

Brimstone called out. He didn't have to wait long for three of his soldiers appearing in front of him.

"Group A you are in charge of packing up equipment and weapons. Make sure we are have enough gear for everyone, but the people do have priority."

"Yes, Sir!"

A woman with fire red hair and green eyes replied quickly, returning to her station and informing her people about what exactly she wanted to have done.

"Group B, you are in charge of retrieving ongoing research projects. Go and ask Raze, she'll give you a list of the important things. Pack that up first, plant C4 on the less important stuff and leave it here if need be. Personnel and weapons have priority."

"Sir!"

A man in his early thirties replied, doing just what his colleague did before and informed his team.

"Group C, you will provide logistical support for evacuating all personnel. Make sure the evacuation procedure is going on smoothly. We can't afford to have any delays. I want shuttles filled with people and equipment at an even rate as long as it's possible. We need both. If I don't see the first shuttle airborne in ten minutes, I'll have someone's head."

"We'll make sure of it, Sir! I already got confirmation from level 12, they are packing up and will be heading toward the hangar in approximately three minutes. Only personnel. No equipment."

A soldier informed him.

"That's what I want to hear. Once this is done, we will work on clearing all data and making sure there is nothing left to salvage. Set up charges on all critical systems, including the AI core. If that damned god program is able to deactivate it, we have a problem. Make sure that everyone who isn't on a shuttle makes themselves useful. And get me Kimur, she needs to work out a flight plan out of here."

**\---------**

**Base Haven, infirmary**

Reyna was lazily sitting in a chair, her impossibly long legs flipped up on the table in front of her while she reclined in her chair with her eyes closed. The autumn sun was brightly shining through the windows on her tanned skin as she took a deep breath. She knew that it smelled a little bit of disinfectant, simply because she was in the infirmary, but that particular smell had lost its bothersome, repulsive touch a long time ago.

The Vampire was feeling great. Not only because she allowed herself to feel this way, but also because she genuinely did. Balanced might have been a good word for it, which had definitely nothing to do with any post-coital bliss she was still experiencing from her little fun with Mirai a few hours ago. Not at all.

A wicked smile on her lips she opened her eyes again, her piercing purple iris contracting immediately to adjust to the sudden flood of light. Her gaze fell on Killjoy, who was sitting in some training device a little to Reyna's side. The German soldier still had difficulties with walking. She could manage a few steps on her own without any support before she lost balance. For some reason it seemed that it was getting worse instead of better. Maybe Viper was right and Killjoy was indeed pushing herself too hard.

Reyna wouldn't say anything, simply because she knew that it wasn't her business, but if she was honest to herself, and she usually was, Viper was right. Letting a hand run over her forehead, Reyna's fingers stopped when they came into contact with a soft patch. A band-aid placed there by Dr Sabine after she had inserted an optical fibre linked to her chest implant into her brain. She was glad to get this final upgrade. And soon enough she would be able to use her abilities again.

Still focused on Killjoy, Reyna knew that if the roles were reversed, she wouldn't act any differently. She too would push herself as hard as she could to get back into her former shape as soon as humanly possible. She could afford to, her healing factor had artificially been increased as was her tissue regeneration by the Radianite exposure. Killjoy's wasn't. Which was both good and bad at the same time.

Ironic how the most horrible procedure Reyna had to endure did give her an advantage over ordinary humans in the end. Some may have even been jealous of the results, but surely not of the procedure. Never the procedure. And people wonder why there isn't a lot of Radiants in the world.

"Stop it."

Killjoy groaned under her breath.

Reyna blinked, tilting her head a little and causing a strand of hair to fall over her face.

"Stop what?"

She asked innocently, not having the first clue what her comrade in medical misery was talking about.

"Playing with your band-aid. You'll get an infection."

Killjoy replied.

"Is that right?"

Reyna smirked, but stopped rubbing over the patch on her head. She had to admit that she didn't even realize that she had been touching it in the first place.

"Then you should stop, too."

"Stop what?"

Killjoy replied, mimicking Reyna's earlier tone.

"Exhausting yourself. You and I both know it won't do you any good."

An annoyed groan was all Killjoy could produce as an answer. She, however, did stop what she was doing and moved herself back onto her bed, letting her legs dangle from the edge.

"It hurts."

She said meekly.

"Si"

Reyna replied softly, pressing her full lips into a fine line.

"I know."

"I want to walk properly again."

Reyna nodded ever so little that it was barely noticeable.

"It takes time."

She stated simply.

"Don't think I don't know that. But I feel so useless"

Killjoy blurted and for a moment there she almost looked ashamed that she had admitted this.

"As did I for a while here. It will pass."

"But it already has passed for you."

Killjoy grumbled, shooting Reyna a look. The uncaring shrug she received did little to help her feel any better.

"You're feeling bad?"

Reyna asked nonchalantly in her infamous direct approach. She handled conversations like she handled her job. Shooting in a straight line.

"Of course I feel bad. I'm stuck here like a useless child."

Killjoy complained.

"You do realize that I am literally the single worst person you could chose for emotional support? In case you have forgotten, emotions and me? Not the best of friends."

Killjoy shrugged.

"Better than no one."

She stated simply at which point Reyna couldn't help but shrug as well. Fair enough.

A comfortable silence spread between the two woman from that point forward and Reyna turned her head to look out of the window again. The mountains of Bhutan was a beautiful sight and she occupied her mind by trying to count the various clouds flying calmly above it. She might also have gauged how fast they were flying and how high. This way it was easy to reach some ease of mind where Reyna didn't really think about anything in particular.

She was really looking forward to getting out of the infirmary tomorrow. Mirai and her had planned to go to the city again, like they did when they went shopping for clothes and Reyna was definitely looking forward to that. Maybe they'd visit the small café again. She was relatively certain that doing so would make Mirai very happy.

The sounding of an alarm bell told the Vampire that her plans for tomorrow were definitely cancelled and she was even more certain of that once the voice over the speaker announced the news:

"Attention all personnel. This is not a drill. Dark Star protocol has been enabled. I repeat: Dark Star protocol is in immediate effect. Self destruct sequence has been initiated. I repeat, self destruct sequence has been initiated at t minus one hour 59 minutes. All personnel report to their section commanders immediately. Sections cleared for evacuation please report to the main hangar bay in a timely manner. Sections not cleared for evacuation please keep calm and stay on station until your section commanders are given the clear signal."

The announcement wasn't even done yet before the Vampire had swung her legs off the table in front of her and stood up already. With fast steps she walked past Killjoy, gritting a "stay here." Through her teeth. The closer she got to the door the more she got aware of the sound of heavy boots running down the corridor outside.

She quickly yanked the door open, peering outside. What greeted her was pretty much exactly what she had been suspecting. Soldiers and scientists were running down the corridor, most of them quickly heading for the exits, some of them going in the opposite direction. Everyone was carrying a box or a bag, some carrying especially large equipment together. It might have seemed like chaos on the first glance, but it really wasn't. There was order behind every move.

"Ma'am, please stay in the infirmary until you're picked up. We will evacuate the injured once Dr Sabine reported back to base."

A fully geared soldier told her, stopping at the door. One of his comrades sidestepped him and proceeded on his way, telling him to hurry up.

"Timeframe?"

Reyna hissed at the soldier, who squirmed under her piercing gaze.

He gulped.

"Can't be more than a few minutes. Please stay where you are for now. You'll be picked up."

The soldier said.

"If not, I'll gut you."

Reyna snarled, making it sound like a promise, before she turned around and slammed the door shut behind her. Walking past the desk of Dr Sabine, Reyna opened a drawer in the cupboard behind it and retrieved a hand full of individually shrink-wrapped items.

Striding back to her chair she gracefully sat down again, placing the items on the table in front of her before she picked up each one and peeled the wrapping off. As it turned out, whatever was inside was made of surgical steel.

"What's going on?"

Killjoy asked, not referring to the general situation. She knew about the emergency protocols and she also knew that Reyna knew about them too. Though, how the Mexican assassin did know this, Killjoy didn't even want to think about.

"We'll be picked up once Sabine comes back."

Reyna shrugged, peeling another metal object out of its wrapping.

"It would have been easier if she didn't go for a coffee break in town, but whatever. Until then, just sit there and relax."

Killjoy blinked at her companion, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"You know, I would maybe relax if I didn't know there is a self destruct countdown going."

She finally said, making Reyna look up from yet another metal item and looking at Killjoy. Stormy brown eyes were staring out of a slightly agitated face. Suddenly Killjoy pointed at Reynaand shouted:

"And if you weren't casually unwrapping scalpels as if they were lolipops!"

Reyna looked back and forth between Killjoy and the two dozen scalpels on the table, some unwrapped, most still in their packaging. Just by looking at her face it was utterly clear that Reyna didn't have the first clue about what might have been wrong.

"They might come in handy."

She informed Killjoy with a shrug.

"Nuts. You're completely nuts, Reyna."

Killjoy stated. She hadn't even said the last word a silver dart rushed past her and stuck to the post of her bed, still vibrating. Reyna's throwing hand was still stretched and Killjoy couldn't help but notice that the scalpel Reyna had just thrown was in the dead center of her post.

"Next time you want to call me crazy, know that I won't miss again."

Reyna said evenly.

**\----------**

Viper stared into the distance, her surroundings dulled out completely. She didn't pay attention at all when she was stirring her coffee on the table in front of her. Her thoughts were spinning around the conversation she had with her friend the day before, tiny snippets and seemingly irrelevant details popping back into her mind as clear as if she was re-living them right now.

Asking Mirai for a moment of her time had already started awkwardly, simply because Sabine had phrased her request in such a horribly worded way that Mirai didn't even get what was expected of her. Viper had to start three times over until Mirai got it and followed the good doctor to her office for a private chat. Not that starting the conversation there had been any less awkward. She must have been rambling completely incomprehensible gibberish, because Mirai had actually told her to stop, take a deep breath and just spill the beans of what she wanted to tell her. It had been such a weird, foreign experience and Viper still felt her cheeks burn at how embarrassed she had been when she tried to ask Sage a very specific question. She had acted like an inexperienced teenage girl and not like the full grown woman she was. In retrospect Sabine didn't have the slightest idea anymore why she had such a hard time talking to Mirai yesterday. The woman had been her friend since forever. They had talked about any and everything in the past, shared the most intimate details and secrets and never once failed to provide decent advice for the other. They trusted each other with their lives and they knew it too. What made starting this conversation so incredibly difficult for Viper was probably more the fact of admitting to herself that there was a question to be asked in the first place. That the answer to that question would be of personal relevance to Sabine. How did Mirai find out that she was attracted to women? How did she notice? What did she do? Those were the questions burning on Sabine's tongue.

Mirai never answered. She had looked at Sabine intensively, her cheeky smile gone from one moment to the next. As usual, Sage knew exactly when things were serious. And she had immediately known that Sabine was in absolutely no mood for any jokes. Hell, the poor doctor had seemed like she was close to losing it.

It had seemed like an eternity passed before Mirai had reached for Sabine's badly trembling hands and had held them reassuringly. Sabine could still feel her friends touch on her hands even now.

"It's Killjoy, isn't it? You want to know these things because of her, right?"

Mirai had asked, the words feeling like someone had just slapped Viper across her face with the back of the hand. For some reason she had thought that she might be able to pull her line of questioning off in a hypothetical way, but she should have known Mirai better.

No such luck.

Obviously.

The gay Chinese only needed moments to figure out what was going on. At least that's what Sabine told herself. It was way more likely, if not as embarrassing, that Sage had figured out ages ago what was going on and just chose to keep quiet about it.

Sabine had only been able to nod and listen dumbstruck to Mirai telling her how it didn't matter at all if she liked women or men or whatever. As long as she knew that she liked Killjoy, all Sabine would have to do is let the other woman know. The rest would come naturally. Contact, conversation, harmless flirting, a date. Sabine would soon know if her feelings were reciprocated or not and that no matter what she did, the answer wouldn't change. Either Killjoy was interested, or she wasn't. Then Mirai had pulled Viper into a careful hug, before she left her alone again, telling her to always come to her, should she need help.

The whole exchange was playing in front of Viper's eyes for the umpteenth time as she was desperately trying to find a flaw in Mirai's logic, anything really, to have an excuse to not do what her friend had advised.

Her smart brain just laughed at her, knowing full well that there was no flaw and that she was only trying to postpone the inevitable, fearing rejection. Sabine frowned at herself. She was never a coward and she wouldn't start now.

As soon as she was back at the base she would go and talk to Killjoy. Maybe invite her to a date. Not to dinner. To a date. She'd just finish her coffee with Sova and then she'd go back and get a move on. She had been postponing this for too long already. Way too long. Even back before Kingdom had to ruin so much of her and Killjoy's life she had to admit that there was a certain... attraction between her and Killjoy. A playfulness they shared in their exchanges. Maybe not everything was bad? Maybe there was hope.

"Sabine?"

An accented voice asked and Viper's head snapped up, allowing her busy mind to return back to reality. She looked into the worried face of Sova, whom she was currently sharing their traditional Wednesday afternoon coffee with. They had taken the short trip into the small town near the base and had found a quaint little coffee-shop, with a friendly black-haired waitress. Their usual place was unfortunately closed due to renovations, yet their replacement was more than adequate. Maybe they'd switch in the future.

"Uh... Sorry, Sova, I zoned out for a moment."

Viper said and laughed awkwardly.

"If it would have only been a moment. What's bothering you Sabine, you haven't said a word all day."

_Oh, it's nothing, I'm just falling heads over heels in love with one of our agents._

"I'm fine, don't worry. Just a lot on my mind."

She smiled weakly, mentally slapping herself. It wasn't like Sova wouldn't find out about this. At least, should it ever work. In any case, now was definitely not the time to tell him, though. She didn't even know if there ever would be such a time at all.

"Patients?"

Sova provided, taking a big swig from his large cup of coffee, which still seemed absolutely tiny in his hands.

"Yeah."

Viper replied, technically not lying, and before she could stop herself she had added:

"Killjoy, to be honest."

His expression darkened immediately, concern replacing the laidback, relaxed twinkle in his eyes.

"She's going to be fine, isn't she?"

He asked, looking sternly at the good doctor.

Viper twitched slightly, regretting her choice of words.

"Of course."

She replied immediately.

"I can promise you that. It's just that her body doesn't heal as fast as I wish it would. I might have to resort to a treatment I would have preferred not using."

Sabine sighed, realizing that she probably couldn't stir her coffee long and hard enough for it to warm up again. She took the spoon out of the cup, tapped it on the edge of it twice, to get rid of the last drop of brown liquid still refusing to drop back into the cup and set it down on the small saucer provided.

"Sabine, you aren't exactly boosting my confidence right now."

Sova gritted through his teeth and clutching his cup in his paw like hands, probably bringing the ceramic close to breaking point.

"Relax, Sova. No need to worry. You see it's like this."

She said, taking a sip from her cold coffee and doing an excellent job at now showing any outward sign of the disgust she felt while her tastebuds had to deal with the cold liquid.

"Her nervous tissue in her neck had been severed by the gunshot, alright?"

She looked at him to check if he was following, and Sova nodded. He was a good man, a strong and a honorable man, too, but he knew that he wasn't exactly the smartest. Not that he was dumb, but his mind worked in simple ways. He always liked that Viper was able to explain the highly complex magic she did in a way he could understand. Viper smiled at him before she continued.

"I'm trying to get her body to replace the nervous tissue. This way she would be healed. I programmed nanophase material to act as a bridge for a bit, to stimulate the severed nerves and prompt them to start growing back together. This way she learn to move again."

"Isn't that working? I saw her exercising just yesterday."

He interjected, leaning forward and the table. 

Viper sucked in a deep breath of air, tilting her head to the sides.

"Well, it's working in a way. But not the way I want to. You see, the nerves aren't showing any signs of growing back together and the nanophase material I programmed are only a temporary solution. I have to replace them every two days so she can continue with her progress. Yes, she is working out again, but walking is still difficult for her, as is keeping balance. She can't run, yet."

"So it didn't work?"

He asked in a pressing manner.

"She'll need to see you every two days for new probes?"

"No, she won't. As I said, there are two solutions. The second one would entail a functioning nanophase material system, which is self-sufficient. It would permanently repair the damage to her body, but..."

"But?"

"Look at me."

Viper said and gestured at the general vicinity of her face.

"How do I look?"

She asked.

His eyebrows furrowed.

"Like the angel you are, obviously. You are a lovely woman, Sabine..."

He said, his voice betraying just how much he wasn't sure why she wanted to hear that from him. She wasn't the type of woman who would need to fish for compliments.

Viper smiled warmly at him, but shook her head no.

"Thank you, Sova. But that's not what I meant."

He looked confused now. With all due right.

"What I meant was how I look in comparison to when we first met. I'm sure you remember, despite it being a long time ago. Tell me how much did I age in all the time we knew each other?"

He gulped, thinking back and coming to a conclusion that he needed to process. He had a picture on the wall in his room from the day he was transferred to Valorant. He had just left basic training and was welcomed into the ranks of Valorant agents along with most of his class. Viper was one of them. The picture on his wall could have been taken today if only Viper was shown on it. It was like no time had passed at all.

"You didn't."

"I didn't."

She confirmed with an edge of discomfort.

"And neither would Killjoy once I'd implant her a working nanophase material system. It's not something I just want to push on her. The long term consequences of what I did to myself are only now starting to really dawn on me, now that I see you and Breach and Brimstone and how you all turn..."

"Older?"

Sova said with a shrug. He had to admit that he never really thought about Viper not aging anymore. But now that she actually mentioned it, he couldn't help but admit that his old friend had a very valid point. Of course she had.

Viper wanted to reply something when the buzzing of both their phones stopped their conversation. Exchanging a confused look they took a look at their screens and froze.

_Attention all personnel. This is an automated emergency alert message updating high priority procedures._

_Dark Star protocol enabled._

_Agents within defense-perimeter 01 are ordered back to Base: Haven for immediate evacuation. Please report to your section commanders immediately._

_Section commanders are advised to report to Mission Command in a timely manner for detailed updates on the immediate proceedings._

_Please remain calm and organized._

Viper felt the blood drain from her face as she slowly looked up again, fearing that her comrade would just look as shocked as she felt.

"Sova?"

She whispered.

"Back to base!"

The Russian warrior exclaimed, shooting up from his place and grabbing her arm.

"Now!"

**\----------**

"Kimur!"

A voice bellowed as the door into the mission briefing room in the back of the hangar opened. It was usually used by the pilots before or after they went on various missions to be either informed of mission critical data or to discuss the results of any given operation. Right now Mirai was standing behind a lectern, projected behind her was a map with various differently colored lines showing what had to be planned courses. Sitting in front of her, almost like in a classroom, were a group of pilots, all attentively listening to what Mirai had planned for the upcoming evacuation.

"Ten-hut!"

A soldier called out, spotting the Commander storming into the briefing room at fast pace, prompting everyone to stand up from their seats half way, before Brimstone had already dismissed them. For a moment, the pilots awkwardly stood.

"Sir?"

Mirai asked, putting the remote she used for switching between the projected images to the side and waiting for the Commander to tell her whatever he needed from her.

"What's the situation here? I want an update on the flight plan."

Brimstone demanded.

"We are following standard operation procedures, Sir. The current plan is to have a split evacuation in three waves."

Sage said with a curt nod.

"Wave one is mostly personnel, which means we will have the Base void of all non-essential personnel in roughly-"

She checked her watch.

"20 minutes. The first shuttles have already cleared for lift off and will head to their RV-Point."

Sage pointed out a certain location on the behind her. "

Captain Kava is in charge of wave one, he is already carrying out his orders."

She explained.

"While wave one is clearing the hangar, we are loading up wave two, which will contain mostly equipment and what little personnel is required for it, or whoever isn't needed by then anymore. Wave two will head for their RV-Point once they are good to go, possibly parallel to wave one. We are using separate launch platforms for each wave. Second Lieutenant Yamabushi is in charge of wave two."

"Wave three is going to collect everyone who isn't included in wave one or two. It will consist of two shuttles at most and will be led by myself. I will wait until every last one is out of the Base or until I cannot wait any longer."

Sage explained.

Brimstone nodded but had a slight frown on his face. The plan as such was solid, but

"Why do you make it sound like someone might not make it out?"

He asked.

"I sent some of the new Speznaz to go and help wherever their help is needed and told them to do whatever they can. I said I'll wait until the last moment. They don't strike me for quitters, Sir. If I say they have until 1538, I expect that they will show up at 1538 sharp."

Brimstone was quiet for a moment.

"I see." He said. "Good work, Agent. Carry on."

"We aren't gone yet."

Sage shrugged, knowing full well how many things could go wrong.

There was a knock on the door before it was opened.

"Commander?"

Another soldier asked as he stepped inside.

"Cypher for you."

He announced, stepping out of the way to let the cybernetic spy saunter into the briefing room with unrivaled grace.

Sage knew exactly what was going on in Brimstone's mind right now. It was obvious by the way his eyes widened in surprise. They had an active nuke program fighting the AI for control and as it seemed now, it was winning. So, what were they going to do about their augmented friend? There was one possible answer to that question, but no one was yet willing to consider this.

Kimur thought that Brimstone had asked for the cybernetic Morrocan man to come to him. But by the way Aamir was followed by five Speznaz soldiers, two of which were dragging a dead Alt Skye between their thick, muscular arms, this was obviously not the case. The muscular corpse seemed to be almost squashed between the two hulks.

"Commander Brimstone."

Cypher's pleasing voice stated calmly.

"I was made aware that you wish to eliminate Ms. Alt Skye here into custody. I regret to inform you that I wasn't fast enough to stop her from uploading the poison she brought along to the AI"

He admitted, sounding almost defeated.

"You were in the AI core?"

Mirai asked before Brimstone could.

"Indeed. I spend most of my time there. I find the company to be very... pleasant."

Brimstone and Sage exchanged a quick glance.

"Alright. Throw Alt Skye's body away. You two are responsible."

He pointed at the two Soldiers carrying the dead Australian between them.

"You are allowed to do whatever you deem necessary to keep her body remain undiscovered"

Brimstone stopped for a moment.

"Da, tovarishch komandir!"

The soldiers replied in unison and dragged Skye out of the room again.

"With your permission, Commander, I will also leave. Or is there a task you need me to fulfill?"

Cypher asked.

"Actually, I do have a concern. There is a nuke-program in our systems and forgive me for saying this, but if we can't stop it, what will happen to you?"

"A valid concern, Commander. But rest assured that it is of no consequence. I deactivated both WiFi and Bluetooth."

If Mirai would have had a cup of coffee in her hand, she knew that she would have taken a sip from it in that moment and she also knew that she would have spit it out all over Cypher. So, she was rather grateful that she didn't have any coffee.

"This is not the time for humor, Aamir."

She said instead, after not being able to suppress a bemused snort.

"Of course, yet it is a simplified version of what I did. I deactivated all communication protocols apart from audio in a band which covers the human vocal capability. Do not worry. My order has never allowed a nuke-program to invade our thoughts. Though it is important to note that my capabilities are now severely limited."

"Will that be a problem?"

Brimstone asked.

"Not unless its cybernetic capabilities are required. But I am confident that Killjoy is more than capable of dealing with whatever cyberspace incidents might occur in the foreseeable future."

Cypher clarified evenly, while folding his hands differently.

"Speaking of which, where is Viper?"

Brimstone wanted to know, being reminded that one of his medical staff was still notably absent from base together with Sova.

"She was supposed to be back here twenty minutes ago!"

"Sir, she is... stuck in traffic."

Someone told him reluctantly.

Brimstone groaned in disbelieve, the situation entirely too surreal for an excuse like that.

"Stuck in... for fucks sake! Tell her and Sova to move their asses here asap. I don't care if they have to steal a motorcycle to do it."

**\---------**

"I swear you are driving me crazy with those scalpels."

Killjoy said with a huff, leaning back into the cushion she had propped up against her bed. She looked over to the Vampire, who was skillfully spinning one of her many blades between her fingers, still sitting at the nearby table.

"Would you prefer bullets?"

The assassin asked, perking up a questioning eyebrow. She didn't stop twirling the razor-sharp precision tool around her slender fingers without even looking at it, almost as if it was nothing but a simple pen. Definitely not like it was an instrument which could probably cut ones fingers right off the hand with little effort.

"Bullets?"

Killjoy frowned.

"Where and how would we suddenly get bullets from?"

She wanted to know, swallowing a comment about the Vampire acting slightly crazy.

"Listen."

Reyna hissed, suddenly stopping the moving blade with her thumb before lazily throwing it tip first onto the table, where it stuck.

"You heard what's going on, right? That Dark Star Protocol they were talking about. You know what it's for and what it does, si?"

Killjoy hesitated for a moment, staring quizzically at Reyna. There was technically no reason Reyna should be privy to that kind of Valorant internal information. Then again, there was something in the other woman's eyes, a certain way they lit up, like she knew more than anyone else. Which seemed to be impossible until you remember that Reyna was a highly skilled assassin who had pulled off more impossible missions than anyone else ever did. Impossible was her second nature, the very word more than likely printed in her passport between her first and her last name. Could it be that she was acting far more logically than Killjoy gave her credit for, just because Reyna already saw a much bigger picture? A picture that Killjoy herself was still missing?

"I do know what Dark Star does. Question is, how do you know?"

"I did research."

Was all that Reyna deemed necessary as an informative reply. The truth was, ever since Brimstone had unofficially recruited her, she did have access to all the proceedings and protocols Valorant used. Not that she didn't have that before. But no one needed to know that. And neither needed they know that Mirai's password was equally flattering as it was obvious to Reyna.

"The point is, Dark Star is only enabled when the Base is already lost. So I am asking you: Did you see any enemy troops? Or soldiers? Look out of the window, do you see a huge attack force?"

It was a good point, Killjoy had to admit. She had been wondering about that herself. They didn't seem to be in any kind of immediate danger. So why would the Dark Star Protocol be enabled? It made little sense.

"I'll give you that much,"

She conceded.

"But there are other viable threats. Like.. an incoming rocket?"

"With a two hour advance warning time?"

Reyna asked skeptically before shrugging

"Unlikely, but possible. If it was a really old rocket, maybe. But then again, doesn't make much sense either, does it? Just take the rocket closer to the Base."

She regarded Killjoy for a moment and considered telling her why she had chosen to grab the scalpels. It was a far fetch, Reyna would admit as much, but in the past she did well following her instincts. But Killjoy would only call her crazy again and Reyna could really do without that annoying discussion with the pig-headed warrior.

"I have a theory. Let's just hope it proves to be wrong."

Reyna said instead of an explanation, sitting back down in her chair and picking up the scalpel to spin again. Her attentive eyes were roaming the room as if she was waiting for something to happen.

"And you wonder why people call you scary."

Killjoy muttered under her breath, but Reyna merely chuckled throatily as a response.

People thought she was scary because she was. They feared her. And they should. Because no matter what, Reyna was still very much dangerous.

The two women spent the next ten minutes in a more or less comfortable silence. At least Reyna wasn't bothered by it, what Killjoy thought about it didn't truly interest her. It was after those approximately ten minutes that Reyna's unspoken theory was, unfortunately, proven right. Outside the doors of the infirmary a loud beeping noise could be heard followed by automatic gunfire and the screaming of men.

In a fluent and faster than humanly possible movement, Reyna shot up from her chair, grabbed her scalpels and sprinted over to Killjoy. The other woman was stunned, when Reyna grabbed her at the collar of her hospital gown and yanked her off the bed. She was vaguely aware of another loud beeping noise and a red laser beam pointing in their direction. The next thing Killjoy knew was the sound of bullets being fired and her bed being ripped apart. She couldn't really tell what had happened, but somehow she found herself slammed against Dr. Viper's heavy marble desk. The Vampire was right next to her in a kneeling position.

"What is happening?!"

Killjoy gasped, trying to regain her composure. She was a soldier. She was trained for this. But she was also barely able to walk without a cane.

Reyna peeked out from behind the desk for but a moment. Loud, terrifying beeping filled the room again and the red laser beam previously wandering around the medbay wooshed over to Reyna. She had enough time to spot a clean white gun-turret with a black, large caliber machine gun mounted to it. There was some kind of red eye underneath the gun, which was emitting the laser. The entire construction was hanging from the ceiling, sticking out of a newly opened port. It was one of Haven's many automated defense platforms which usually were able to differentiate between friend and foe. Either that function had been turned off, or the friend-foe identification protocol had been tampered with.

Either way, Reyna quickly ducked back in cover as the bullets began to rain against Dr. Sabine's massive desk, causing dust and debris to explode into the air and all around them. Luckily for them, the massive stone the desk has been crafted from was providing enough protection.

"Turret."

Reyna replied swiftly, grabbing one of her scalpels and sitting up a little, preparing to lean out of cover again.

"What are you doing?"

Killjoy shouted and grabbed Reyna to pull her back again.

"Do you have a better idea to get out of here? Because I don't."

She hissed.

"Now let me do my thing, or I'll knock you out and carry you."

From anyone else but the Vampire, this threat would have been metaphorical or empty. But for her it was neither. She would knock Killjoy out and carry her out. Quite literally.

Staring into the German's deep brown eyes as if to check whether or not she had to add something earning her a knockout, Reyna paused for a moment. When Killjoy didn't speak up, she rolled off her and got back into position. She twisted the scalpel in between her fingers and took a deep breath.

This needed to be done quickly and precisely. She had one shot at this. She wanted to hit the optical sensor with the scalpel, making the gun blind. But for that to work, she needed to get out of cover and to throw the knife. Of course Reyna would use a different angle than the one she used to peek out of cover, she wasn't suicidal after all, but still. If she missed, she would probably not be able to get back into cover before the gun acquired her and riddled her with bullets.

Sucking in a deep breath, Reyna lunged forward from the cover of the desk and out into the open. Her keen eyes immediately fixed on her target, the red eye underneath the gun glowing brightly. The turret beeped in its crushingly loud, low to high pitched sound, before it tried to lock on to Reyna. The assassin could almost feel the laser-dot rushing toward her when she reached out to throw one of the scalpels with force and precision.

The laser dot landed on her body.

The machinegun fired.

The scalpel smashed into the red eye, smashing it to pieces.

Reyna rolled back in cover, looked over to Killjoy, who was staring at her, pale like death.

"Still think I'm crazy?"

Reyna smirked with a perked up eyebrow.

Killjoy shook her head.

"Now I know you are."

She said, skidding over to Reyna and grabbing her shoulders. A tiny line of sanguine liquid was seeping through her hospital gown.

"You're hit!"

Killjoy exclaimed, immediately lifting up the flimsy gown to check Reyna's injury. Her movements, however, were halted rather quickly when Killjoy realized what she was doing.

The Vampire wasn't exactly wearing much else apart from the hospital gown.

Killjoy froze.

Reyna gave her a deadpan look.

"Like what you see?"

She asked in a honeyed voice.

To be fair, Killjoy was a hardened warrior, fighting with determination and purpose and calling her righteous would definitely hit the spot. Her social skills were grounds for improvement, however. Her eyes stayed glued to that perfect, bronzed skin wrapping around tight, well defined muscles underneath. Reyna had the body any woman would gladly sell her soul for, with her flat stomach that showed the moderate hints of some abs, her legs were impossibly long and connected to absolutely breathtaking hips. Perfection, if it wasn't for the cold skin. And the long slanting gash running down her side, lines of deep crimson blood coming out from it.

"I...You...It..."

Killjoy tried ever so eloquently.

"It's just a scratch."

Reyna hissed with impatient venom in her voice, not linking the weird stare the other woman was giving her in the slightest.

"None of your business."

She pulled the gown back down harshly, before shoving a deeply flustered Killjoy off her.

"S-Sorry, I didn't know you-"

The warrior stuttered, pressing the touching hand under her arm, like it somehow hurt.

"I'm sure you've seen a naked woman before. I'll live."

Reyna cut her off, leaning out from behind the desk again. The automated defense turret was making whirring noises as it spun around all its axes. It was definitely done for. At least the designer had the decency to not have the turrets shoot blindly around the room once their targeting system was taken out. Which was a relieve.

That didn't mean there weren't any more turrets out there. If there was one thing Reyna knew for sure it was that she definitely wouldn't be staying here for a moment longer than necessary. Something has gone horribly wrong and she was relatively certain that should someone come to pick them up, they would definitely arrive too late. If they arrived at all. The hallways had transformed into death-traps.

No, she needed to get out of here, that's for sure. But the only way to do that was through the hallways and that was just plain suicidal. There wasn't any form of cover available in the corridors. Once a turret had acquired its target, it was basically like shooting fish in a barrel. Nowhere to evade, nowhere to hide behind, nowhere to duck out of the way. Which meant you were dead. Which also meant it was a bad idea. The Vampire leaned back against the desk and regarded the orange windows, still allowing the infirmary to be flooded with warm light that didn't fit the situation at all. She could probably break one of them and just climb down the walls. Didn't seem too much of a hassle. But that was when Reyna's piercing purple eyes caught sight of Killjoy next to her.

They needed to get out of here, not only she herself, Reyna decided, cringing internally. It wasn't so long ago when Reyna would have simply sliced the other woman's throat and be done with it. Not anymore. It wouldn't be right to leave her here or even kill her. Mirai wouldn't approve and neither would Sova. For some weird reason the Vampire didn't even feel the urge to kill as strongly as she used to.

It hardly mattered now. What did matter was, that the idea with climbing out of the window to avoid the corridors had just been nullified by the decision to take Killjoy with her, too. There was no way the injured woman would be able to climb down the walls of the base and possibly even the wet and slippery cliffs. Carrying her was also out of the question, the risk of losing grip and falling to their deaths was just too high.

That left them with the corridors again. With a deep sigh she concentrated on the plans of Haven, which Reyna memorized a while ago. It was always helpful to know each and every corner of a building, if only for the fact that she never got lost. Reyna went through the different corridors in her mind, looking for something helpful for their escape.

"We'll leave."

She announced after a while, coming up with a good enough plan.

Killjoy nodded, having regained her professional composure again.

"Agreed. We don't have much time left. But we can't just go. The corridors are-"

"Si, si. I thought about that. There is a supply room on this level, which contains bulletproof riot shields. It's not far and I will be able to take out a turret or two. I'll go and pick some up. Be ready to head to the hangar once I'm back."

"Wait! Let me help you!"

"You'll just slow me down."

**\----------**

"Sir!"

Someone sprinted toward Brimstone.

"All surviving non-essential personnel has been evacuated, Sir! We are loading up the last of the supply crates before we can-"

A loud beeping noise cut the soldier off and somewhere in the distance a machinegun fired. Moments later there was what could only have been return fire. This had been going on for at least ten minutes and it was beginning to grate down on the Commander's nerves. He checked his watch. Fifteen minutes left until they would have to leave. They were cutting it close, but they would make it. It had been their luck that most of the personnel had already gathered in the hangar when the AI had apparently lost her battle with the nuke-program.

"What's the status on the charges inside the AI-Core?"

He asked sharply.

"Set and ready to be blown up, Sir. The sappers are just returning with losses. Three men lost to defense gun fire, four accounted for and uninjured."

"Good, I want to get anyone out before we hit the switch. The coolant in there is highly explosive. I don't want to blow us all up. Now, where the hell is Sabine and Sova?"

"ETA for them approximately two minutes, Sir. We're doing a headcount once they are here."

"BRIMSTONE!"

A female voice shouted loudly, and the Commander knew immediately who it was and what she wanted.

"The turrets! We need to! I mean, Reyna and Killjoy! With Viper gone and..."

"Kimur!"

Brimstone bellowed.

"Get a grip on yourself. We'll get them out."

"Will we? Because this has been going on for way too long now! I swear if they are dead I'll-"

"Kimur!"

Brimstone hissed.

"I said, we will take care of it. I've sent a squad to pick them up a few minutes ago. And before you ask, you know as well as I do that we don't have radio inside the baseanymore. So no, I don't know for sure where they are. Now, please, would you kindly return to your task and make sure we all get out of here alive."

Mirai huffed, but nodded

"Yes, Sir."

She said, turning to leave but staying behind never the less.

"Commander, the last shuttle will leave in five minutes. I recommend you get on board of that one. I'll be waiting until the last moment."

Brimstone looked at her sternly and then turned to the people in the makeshift command center they had set up inside the hangar.

"You heard her. Pack up everything we need and board the last shuttle."

He announced.

"Sir!"

Someone acknowledged him and people immediately started shutting off mobile computers and storing them into standard olive green transport boxes which served as makeshift tables up until that point.

"I will fly with you, Kimur. No way in hell will I abandon my post before my men do."

...

Cutting it close. Cutting it very, very close.

They were the last ones to leave. Mirai had the engines of the shuttle fired up and running in idle, waiting for Reyna and Killjoy. They should have already been here. They should not be missing. But they did. As did the team of men Brimstone sent to pick them up. Something went wrong. It was the only explanation. Mirai could feel it in her guts, it was gnawing away at her, tearing through her flesh like a parasite stuck inside her biting its way to freedom. She was nauseous and if she would have looked in a mirror she was relatively certain that she'd have looked into the shallow, dead eyes of a ghost. There was just no realistic way that there would be any color left in her face. Realistically she knew that she should probably grab a small bite to eat, but she couldn't.

She checked her clock for at least the 30th time in the last minute and noticed that there were still only 7 minutes to go.

Looking out of the windows of the shuttle she saw Sova and Viper talking to Brimstone. The two had arrived maybe five minutes ago and after a harsh lecture from the Commander were updated on the situation. That they would be the last ones to evacuate. They were still waiting on six missing people. Everyone else was either alive and accounted for or confirmed dead. They had lost 63 people to the automated defense turrets inside the base once they activated.

It could have been so much worse. The fact that they weren't drowning in neurotoxins by now meant that the AI was still putting up a fight, albeit evidentially a losing one.

Through all of that Sova hadn't said a word. Now however he was in a highly aggravated state, shouting at the Commander.

Mirai decided it was definitely time to leave the shuttle and check what was going on. She made sure all critical systems were ready but locked and jumped from her pilot seat. She nodded at three of the Speznaz sitting in her cargo compartment, Lieutenant Alexej Pavlovena was one of them. He had offered to go and search for the Vampire and the mechanic, once it became clear that they and the team sent to get them were well overdue, but Brimstone had declined. The Lieutenant returned her nod, biting off something stuck in his mouth. It made a loud snapping noise which was enough to stop Mirai and made her perk up a confused eyebrow. Was she imagining the slightly sour smell tickling deep inside her nose?

"What'cha eating, sister?"

She wanted to know, coming back to that thought of maybe requiring some form of nourishment.

The Lieutenant frowned for the smallest fraction of a moment before he lifted a glass placed in between him and another one of his soldiers.

"Pickled cucumber."

He shrugged.

"Gets rid of the hunger."

He explained after he noticed Mirai's confused look on her face.

The soldier next to him leaned forward.

"And restores your electrolytes, blyat."

He said with the heaviest Russian accent Sage has ever heard in her.

"You want some?"

She formed a silent 'ah', politely declined and quickly left them to their own accords. She shuddered at the thought of eating pickles like that, out of the glass and with nothing to go along. But whatever they preferred, she wouldn't judge. There were more pressing matters at hand anyway and she thought that it might not have been the best idea to munch on a cucumber while talking to the commander. That wasn't even considering the feeling of having to fly, joysticks in her hands, without washing her hands.

Rushing down the loading ramp into the hangar Sage quickly moved toward Sova, Viper and Brimstone. She could hear Sova's voice all over the hangar, he was basically yelling. 

"I will go and get her out of there, Brimstone. That is not up to discussion."

"Agent Sova, I gave you a direct order."

"And I don't give a shit. This is where I draw the line. I will not stand by and watch as the only family I have left gets slaughtered by our own base! I have already lost my wife, I will not lose more of my comrades!"

He slammed his fist on a cargo crate next to him, his hand sinking into the surface and leaving a deep dint in the surface. Impressive, since those crates were made from a reinforced alloy. Then again, it was Sova they were talking about. Cybernetics and all.

Not a moment after these words had left his mouth a heavy silence spread over all of them as everyone except for Viper seemed to process if they just had heard right. Sage was still a few steps away, but she just stopped dead in her tracks. She couldn't see Rein's face from where she was standing behind him, but she could imagine it perfectly.

Brimstone was heard inhaling sharply through his teeth.

"Alright, I admit that this might change-"

Something rattled loudly and everyone was quiet, listening keenly.

It rattled again.

There wasn't a thing in the hanger which was supposed to make an even remotely rattling noise. Naturally that was cause for some concern. The four agents were looking around the hangar, but the strange rattling seemed to come from every direction at once.

What the hell was that? It sounded like metal being dragged over metal. Not a pleasant sound at all.

Sova and Brimstone exchanged a meaningful stare as the group moved in closer to each other.

The rattling got louder and louder, but all of a sudden it stopped. A slow second ticked past, followed by another, not helping either one of the four Valorant agents to calm down.

Then there was a loud metallic bang right above them and four sets of eyes snapped upward just in time to jump out of the way of the service cover of a ventilation shaft crashing down toward the ground. It crashed to the concrete floor with a loud bang, blowing up a bit of dust in the process. Immediately all eyes shot up to the newly created hole in the ventilation duct.

It was weird because there was a faint noise coming out of it and it almost sounded like... voices? Definitely not metallic this time, but it was too indistinguishable to clearly tell. With a little bit of fantasy some might have came to the conclusion that maybe someone was arguing.

There was a loud "Cállate!" to be heard, followed by yet another metallic object apparently being thrown out of the air duct. It was rectangular and almost sailed to the ground like a paper, just a lot faster. Sparing a quick glance at the object Mirai noticed that it had a small viewport on top and was made out of bullet proof metal. Which was good, because the front was covered with more dints than she cared counting.

Sage looked up again, seeing someone stick their head out of the hole in the air duct. Brimstone had luckily let go of his pistol again, knowing that whoever was in the duct had to be human. Which meant they were no danger.

"Ello?"

A female asked and it was easy to match her voice to the almost glowing purple eyes peering out of the darkness of the air duct.

"Are you still around?"

"Yes!"

Sage shouted.

"But hurry up, we need to leave!"

"I have the stubborn European with me and some poor half-dead soldier we found on the way."

Reyna replied.

"If I hold them and hand them down-"

She was interrupted by someone else, most likely Killjoy, judging from her accent at least.

"You're in no condition to hand someone to anyone!"

She admonished.

"You need to get up here and help us down."

"It's just a scratch. I hand them down, someone needs to relieve me of them half way."

Reyna said sharply.

"That won't work, dear!"

Mirai yelled.

"You're way too far up."

"Then someone needs to catch them!"

Reyna retorted.

"I'll help them down. Ready?"

Brimstone shoved Sova.

"That's your job, you're one of the strongest here."

He said. The Russian sniper looked gob smacked for a moment. He was having massive difficulties comprehending the situation. Nothing made sense to him at this point.

But he knew that he would have to do something. So he pushed an empty cargo crate underneath the opening in the air duct and climbed on top of it.

"Ready!"

He yelled.

"I'll drop the wounded one first! He's in a bad condition."

Reyna announced and loud shuffling and pained groaning could be heard followed by someone obviously cursing in Russian. The Vampire said something to him in his native language. Her voice had something velvety and warm, in a honest, sincere way, not the eerie illusion of kindness she used to give her pray shortly before she struck. The only part Sage was able to understand was the word 'Mercy'.

A second later the feet of a soldier appeared and he was lowered down from the duct, his hands tightly gripped by Reyna, as she was expertly bending down the hole. The soldier had a badly applied bandage all across his chest and he there was blood dripping down already.

"Ready to catch him on my mark."

"Ready!"

"Three. Two. One. Mark!"

Reyna announced with complete professional calmness, before she let go of the soldier's hands. He fell for a second before he was safely caught in Sova's arms. The knight jumped off the cargo crate and placed the wounded soldier on the ground, where Skye and Viper immediately started treating his injuries.

Meanwhile the livid discussion between Reyna and Killjoy could be heard.

"You're just as injured! You'll go first."

"I will not. You can't even walk. No discussion, you're next."

Reyna hissed.

"I can't walk. My arms work fine. You're bleeding a lot. And I don't need to be able to walk to fall down. Gravity does that for me."

"And how exactly are you going to not fall out of the duct if you can't use your legs, madame? Have you thought about that? No you haven't. Now stop wasting my time and give me your hands. You're next. Period."

"Fine."

Killjoy replied, obviously not really happy to admit that Reyna might have a point.

"Ready!"

Sova announced loudly, looking up toward the air duct with keen eyes and soonenough, the dreaded assassin was carefully lowering an angry-looking Killjoy out of the small ventilation shaft and, just like before, dropped her into Sova's arms.

"Are you alright?"

He asked with a deep grumble.

"I am. No need to worry. Just put me down, I can manage a few steps on my own."

Killjoy replied. Carefully letting go of his daughter, as if testing how well her footing really was, Sova let her step away from him. He noticed that her hospital gown was smeared with a weird purplish red liquid, but didn't really think much of it. Maybe some kind of coolant?

"Ready?"

Reyna asked.

"да"

Sova answered and the Vampire let herself fall. She landed securely in Sova's arms, who immediately put her to the ground and let go of her.

"Alright you're the last ones. Board the shuttle immediately, we're leaving."

He said, checking on Sabine, who was still tending to the soldier's wounds.

"How is he?"

Brimstone wanted to know, waiting for Viper to look up at him.

"Not well."

She told him.

"I'll do what I can inside the shuttle."

With a nod Brimstone picked the soldier up and carried him into the waiting shuttle. Mirai was already behind the joystick again and was only waiting for Viper and Brimstone to come aboard.

Five seconds before the charges in the AI core were set off.

Only the humming of the engines could be heard, as no one dared to even blink anymore. All the agents and ordinary soldiers watched Haven in what were its final moments, the station which had been a home to many of them, seemed to be almost at peace with the world around it. Like it was always there.

The countdown hit zero.

Nothing happened.

The Watchpoint was still very much standing where it had always been. It almost looked peaceful.

Until a blinding ball of expanding fire erupted in front of the shuttle tipping Reyna's balance as she fell off the shuttle straight back down onto the helicopter pad of Haven. Fire licked her armoured clothes and skin melting the metal and leather right into her skin. She yelled as every burn and scratch comes to her. She grit my teeth and tried to stand up. Every muscle and bone protests, but she manage to get on my feet. It took a few seconds for everything to become clear again.

"Reyna!"

Mirai's voice screamed into her right ear muffling the various explosions rippling around her.

"You gotta get out of here. Don't come back for me, the explosions will crash the shuttle!"

"I can't stay behind"

Reyna heard Mirai's voice shudder violently through the other end of her comms as she watched the shuttle containing her friends and comrades zoom off into the distance but shockingly she noticed the aircraft soon turning back around but she knew that it wasn't fast enough to save her.

"Don't argue with me, Mirai"

"Don't leave me behind"

Sage's voice was on the edge immolation, nearly breaking down into mindless sobs but even with her current situation Reyna managed to let a small chuckle rise out of her throat.

"I need you to make it out of here, Mirai. Get back to China. Build yourself a home"

"I have a home"

Silently chuckling at Sage's last comment Reyna turned around to face the oncoming explosions as well as the marching turrets.

"And before I go--"

"Don't say that!"

"Mirai, before I go, I just want to tell you you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what? So was I!"

Right as Reyna plucked the comms device out of her ear another explosion erupted right a few meters in front of her feet throwing her off the ruined base and down various hills underneath Haven. All Reyna could feel within those few minutes were numbness before being smacked by a barrage of pain as her limp body tumbled down the rocky cliffs.

"REYNA!"

Mirai screams.

"PLEASE! KEEP GOING!"

The Vampire saw her face flash before her very eyes. All the perfect details from all the spectacular nights and the short year she got to know her. Her soft, raven black hair. Her perfect white skin. Her raven-black eyes with all of the love in the galaxy in them. Her lips as they kiss Reyna...

"NO. DON'T LEAVE ME! DON'T GO!"

She could almsot hear the tears in her voice... That sorrow... That one thing that could motivate Reyna to go through Hell a million times... The sound of her voice in pain...

And she was causing it.

**\--------**

"Father won't be home tonight"

Reyna managed to blink the white lights out of her eyes to realize she was right back in the heat of Mexico. A brief look around her revealed plain wallpaper and near-ruined shelves and chairs. She herself was sitting on her bed with the dusty blanket over her now infantile legs but what she saw sitting right next to her took the breath out of her lungs. It was Amaya, her very own sister still as young as ever.

She was holding onto a cafeteria plate littered with her favourite childhood foods, a method her sister always used to comfort Reyna. Horrifically as she laid her eyes upon Amaya she saw that her left eye was blackened and bruised, a clear cut piece of evidence of their father's brutality.

"Business over at Durango. Oh, my dear sister. He hurt you bad"

Amaya lightly grazed her thumb and finger over Reyna's cheek and eyes. Reyna knew this incident like the back of her hand. This day was the day their father realized Reyna preferred both boys and girls. Amaya and their mother being their usual benevolent self were incredibly accepting but their father was beyond wrathful. He believed Reyna, his own flesh and blood was tainting their own family name. Smearing shit all over their reputation. Soon Reyna winded in bed with two black eyes and various bruises and cuts present of her pretty face. 

"Just rest and heal. I have soup and porridge. Which one would you like?"

\-----

"Mirai! What is it?!"

Skye's voice sounded like she was talking underwater as Reyna's consciousness was yanked out of her memories before being rammed with a nearly-intolerable amount of pain. She couldn't see but she could sense two erratic heartbeats near her. One was rather stable albeit slightly swift but the other was hammering against its ribcages like a gatling gun. She didn't need her vision to know who it was.

"I see her, Skye! This way!"

Feeling the blood-soaked ground underneath her vibrate with every heavy step from Skye and Mirai, Reyna soon felt ice-cold fingertips grave her jaw followed by warm drops of salty tears on her torn cheeks.

"Reyna. My stupid woman. Did you think we would just leave you here?!"

Soon after Mirai's shaky fingers left Reyna's charred face, the Vampire soon felt an additional two stable heartbeats rush towards her before lifting her numb body presumably into a stretcher but Reyna couldn't tell. She couldn't feel most things anyways.

"Oh, Jesus fuck. her bloody innards are coming out"

"Hold them in! Put your hands there!"

Viper and Raze's voice echoed into her ears as the team began rushing her towards their shuttle.

_A blessing. To have finished the work I was put on this Earth to do._

_Surrounded by friends that love me._

After a fork of pain ran through her damaged spine Reyna began to regain her vision swiftly enough to see herself in the shuttle surrounded by racing heartbeats and a glowing yellow light coming from the aircraft's doors.

_A great warmth washed over me. I think the sky is on fire_

_Death at the gates again._

_Howling my name._

_Come on in old buddy._

_Sorry I made you wait._

**\---------**

"Padre nuestro,

que estás en el cielo.

Santificado sea tu nombre.

Venga tu reino.

Hágase tu voluntad en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día.

Perdona nuestras ofensas,

como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden.

No nos dejes caer en tentación y líbranos del mal.

Amén."

Reyna's consciousness once again plunged itself into the deep abyss of her shattered memories as she was sitting right beside her sister once again as she finished a prayer before grinning ever so slightly.

"I have something to show you, Delilah"

Reaching for something on the bedside drawer Amaya pulled out an ornate wooden box that looked like it could cost millions of dollars. Opening it Amay hesitated before staring into her sister's eyes.

"Remember what mother gave me? An object so important that Father must never find out about? I think you deserve it more than I do"

Taking a tall square box out of the container Amaya turned the hinges towards her before opening it revealing what was inside to Reyna.

A ring made completely out of a silvery material and adorned with various diamond of various sizes.

"It's an engagement ring. It has been in our family for eight generations. Can you imagine that, Delilah? It is what they call an heirloom. When you meet someone special... you will place this ring on her finger. It is worth a lot this ring-"

A heavy thud followed by a screech indicated their father's return causing Amaya to swiftly hide the boxes right back to where they were.

"Do not tell Father about this ring. He will take it. He does not know about it. You know how he is"

"Amaya!"

**\-------**

_Sister. Am I acquitted? Was I righteous and just? Good enough to witness the awe of Heaven?_

_Oh no._

_Sister._

_I'm going to Hell._

"Pull. Pull, Sabine!"

Reyna once again returned back to the shuttle to see most of the agents she got to know standing by her side whilst Skye and Sabine operate on her. In the distance Reyna could barely make out the body of Sage attempting to run over to Reyna but was stopped by Breach holding her back.

"I'll have to cut most of her intestines out"

"Whatever it takes, Skye. Please!"

"Stay with us, Reyna"

Sova's calming voice washed over her body as she felt his calloused hands clutch her own.

"You fight through this and I promise you, I promise you everything will be alright"

"Bloody hell! Bring anyone capable for an emergency blood tranfusion now!"

Seeing Breach nod lightly in the distance she watched as he ventured deeper into the shuttle.

"Alright, listen up! You, you, and you fucking too! Round everybody up and line up over here by the doors. Fucking run, you fucks!"

Reyna vision once again faded to black but this time it constantly flickered from the shuttle to some bleach-white hospital until her eyes decided to pick on the hospital. She had no idea how she ended up there and not even that she didn't know how much time had passed. The pain that haunted her body had vanished now and was replaced with a calming numbness. Her head tilted to the right to reveal Brimstone sitting right beside her bed smiling whilst holding her right hand tenderly.

"Slow your breathing, Reyna. Recover your strength. I'm sure you want to die fighting and not in some dingy hospital, right? I will need you by my side... once we recover"

Feeling her muscles tense up again her vision blurred once more before a rather warming sensation moved up her body like if sunshine flowed through her veins. Blinking rapidly the blur vanished revealing the fire-orange lights piercing through the windows indicating that time has passed but she didn't know for how long. Her head was still tilted but instead of her eyes meeting Brimstone this time it was Mirai wearing the same old dress she wore right before they had their first moment in the shower. Reyna could feel Mirai's soft fingertips lift Reyna's weak right hand upwards before placing them onto her stomach which was mysteriously solid and shockingly she felt some sort of motion behind them.

"Can you feel the kicking?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it for Valorant: First Light. Hope you guys, gals and other pals all enjoyed it and I'll see you in the next story.
> 
> Massive thanks to Worst Sage Ever and the people who follow me on Twitter and read this story. Without you all I wouldn't be where I am now. :) As well as every single reader. Everybody is appreciated here.
> 
> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son  
> Stephen William Cornish & Amanda Leigh Wilson - Stronger Than You Know  
> Tiësto - The Business  
> Kaleida - Think  
> Yes - Roundabout  
> Murray Gold - The 9th Doctor's Theme (Perfect for one of the very last scenes)  
> Seraphine - Made Me This Way and Childhood Dreams  
> Dayglow - Can I Call You Tonight?  
> MEDUZA, Dermot Kennedy - Paradise
> 
> (The next story will probably be in progress once I stop being overly excited by the release of Cyberpunk 2077)


	24. Just a Message (Not an actual chapter)

Since I guess all of you like Reyge and Valorant as you are reading this fic I would like to advertise a discord server where people who write val fic, draw or simply lurk around could stay at and advertise what they are doing.

If that is interesting then send me a dm on Twitter. I have the same name. I can't put the link here as various bots have already infiltrated the server

Cheers and have a good day


	25. One Last Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is probably gonna be the last chapter of this fic. Thought an epilogue would have been cool so here it is.

Mirai Kimur, callsign "Sage" wasn't used to waiting. She was always vigilante, a soldier that laughed in the face of danger.

However, if there is one thing that she will wait forever for is for Reyna A.K.A the one and only Delilah.

Thankfully, Sage no longer has to wait.

Not anymore. No more long nights at the café open 24/7 on a quaint little corner of Bhutan endlessly stirring her long-since stale and cold coffee.

"All because I made you miss, didn't I, ~?" The place is quiet tonight, but that's fine with Mirai. There is a soft chuckle as slender, black-gloved fingers elegantly wrap around her tea cup's handle to bring it to luscious, purple lips.

"Si, mi corazón. You made me miss, and I don't like to miss." There is the thickly-accented Mexican voice of, indeed, the Vampire, or Delilah? Sometimes Sage isn't absolutely sure. She adores them both too much to really tell them apart.

Both young women sit across from each other while enjoying their drinks. They planned this date earlier, mostly Mirai, who insisted on going to this place because of all the good food and even better drinks they have. Delilah, who couldn't resist Mirai's pleads, agreed to this date and here they are. _Anyways, Delilah was getting tired from walking the streets. Damned beachball growing inside of her._

The world still has need for heroes, but those heroes still need time for themselves and each other.

"Del..." beautiful, happy raven orbs gaze into amused, gentle purple orbs, clearly Delilah she's addressing.

"Si, Mirai?" The former Vampire coos in response, putting down her cup to reach out, taking off her black glove along the way, to gently place her palm on the back of Sage's hand.

The Chinese of the duo sighs a sigh laden with adoration and nigh giddiness.

"Delilah...you only get more beautiful each time I see you...I...I have a bit of a confession to make...I...you see..." Sage suddenly goes from her ever eager and confident self to a bit of a shrinking violet, the girl idly letting her hands go around Reyna's inflated stomach, feeling light kicks against the taut skin.

"Hm? What is it, Mirai?" The raven and purple-haired woman questions with an encouraging tone.

"I...well...Del, I, I fell in love with you the second I saw you...the moment I saw you...not on that rooftop...but I mean, the first time I saw you with...him, with, Omen." Sage speaks with a subtle touch of uncertainty in her voice, just a bit afraid of her beloved's reaction.

After all, it isn't everyday that Delilah's one night stand is mentioned.

Delilah's beautiful eyes widen with no small amount of shock. She barely had any recollections of even setting foot in an Valorant base, but there was no denying that Sage had more credibility, considering that she was an agent of Valorant long before the force proper was disbanded.

"Mirai...I...oh my...cariño, I...had no idea..." Delilah gives her beloved's hand on the table a gentle squeeze, urging her to keep her hands on her stomach.

"Mirai, mi corazón, it's fine. I appreciate this confession, very much so and I-" "Long time no see" Comes the voice of a Brazillian that now sits at the table, beautiful, mischievous eyes looking back and forth between Sage and Delilah.

"B-BLOODY HE-!" "MIERDA!" The two women shout at the same time, reeling back in utter shock and surprise.

"...haaah, hahaahahaa, oh my God! You two! Oh wow, you're such goofs, girls! Come on, girl's night out, am I right~? You won't mind a third wheel, yes?" None other than the woman simply known as Raze laughs, leaning back on her chair, crossing one leg over the other, the woman wearing her usual orangey outfit, a stark contrast to Sage and Delilah's much more casual, civilian clothing.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Delilah asks.

Raze stands up and walks toward the couple. "What, can't an old friend say hi? I mean, what a coincidence~!"

Mirai looks back and forth at the two with an eyebrow raised. "What's going on? You two know each other?"

Raze nods as she puts an arm around Delilah. "Why of course, Del never told you? She and I are longtime friends. Isn't that right, Delilah~?"

The bronzed woman doesn't say anything. The Chinese pouts and lets out a heavy sigh.

"Geez! Why didn't you TELL me this sooner!?"

Raze laughs and proceeds to pull a chair between the two and sit down with them. Mirai tells Delilah that she needs to use the ladies room, the tattooed woman nods and Mirai leaves.

The Brazillian explosives engineer prodigy gives a hearty chuckle and then, drapes an arm over Delilah's shoulder, with the long-haired woman not flinching or cringing or giving any emotion, really. The only thing she does is just hold her tea cup with both hands.

"She's so cute, that girl, Mirai Kimur, patched me up so many times after missions~" Raze talks idly.

"...I always hated how you talk about my partners...I still do, Raze." Delilah deadpans, leisurely taking a drink from her cup.

"Awww, that's not nice, friend~" Raze leans in closer, brushing her finger against the lobe of Delilah's ear, making the woman gasp ever-so-slightly. "Ooohhh...still sensitive there, I reckon? Remember years ago before Valorant? I saw you with reddened ears after a nice lil time in bed" The Brazillian coos in the Mexican's ear.

"You know you remember this, and I know you enjoyed it...all those fun times we had together back at home...yes, I still very much remember your touch...sometimes I even crave for it~" Raze continues to purr into Delilah's ear while reaching a hand down to hold her by the waist and the other gently traces her upper thigh with an index finger.

"Raze...I will only say this once: stop." Delilah...or the Vampire, the Mexican commands and Raze gives a cute little pout.

"Awwww, damn, and here I thought you played hard to get with Sage, too..." The Brazillian keeps cooing in Delilah's ear, the bronzed woman not making a sound nor showing any emotion whatsoever, just looking ahead and away from Raze's gaze.

Delilah turns to Raze with a legitimately surprised and relieved look in her eyes, only to blink upon getting an index finger to her nose.

"Raze..." is all the Mexican can muster and Raze just chuckles.

"Delilah, my dear, I had fun with you during those times we were friends," she admits. "And I still like you. But..." she leans close to the Mexican woman. "I trust that you'll take good care of little Mirai and she'll take care of you and make you happy, yes? So, I won't blackmail you. You two are just so~ cute together! I will hold these memories that are dear to me for both of us."

Delilah nods without saying a word. Even though Raze can be a handful, she's still the kind young woman she knows.

When Sage returns from the ladies room, she sits back down on her chair and says, "Hey, what did I miss?"

"Just...this. Double boop~!" And with that, Raze moves away from Delilah, touches her and Mirai's noses with her finger poke and then, she dashed away, the tell-tale sound of her shoes echoing in the empty café.

"Uh...huh...Del?" Sage blinks twice and looks questioningly at her girlfriend as she sits down.

The Mexican can't help but crack a smile, just a little smile, shaking her head in dismay, her long charcoal purple hair swaying gracefully with the motion.

"Just...catching up, that's all, Raze and I." She comments, reaching for her wallet to drop some bills on the table.

"Come on, cariño. Let's go home~" The Mexican coos, reaching a hand out to Mirai.

"...Sure thing!" Mirai smiles a big, beautiful smile and soon jumps up from her seat, quickly attaching herself to Delilah's arm, the two women in love leaving the café and out into the quiet, beautiful Bhutan night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music I listened to on this chapter:  
> slenderbodies - belong  
> Michael Bublé - Feeling Good  
> The Chamanas - Embrujo


End file.
